2010 NBA Finals
The 2010 NBA Finals began on June 3 and concluded on June 17, marking the twelfth meeting between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics. This best-of-seven series featured the defending champion Lakers against the Eastern Conference champion Celtics. The Lakers held home court advantage after finishing with a better regular season record than their rivals. Their previous championship victory came in the 2009 season against the Orlando Magic. The Celtics had defeated the Lakers in the 2008 Finals, making this matchup a direct rematch of that intense rivalry. History showed the Celtics won nine of their eleven prior Finals meetings against the Lakers.
The Boston Celtics entered the playoffs as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference with a 50, 32 record. They eliminated the Miami Heat in five games during the first round. In the conference semifinals, they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games. This marked the earliest elimination of a top seed since the Dallas Mavericks lost to the Golden State Warriors in 2007. The Celtics then beat the Orlando Magic in six games to reach the Finals. They became the first team in history to reach the Finals with a better road record than home record. The Lakers started as the number one seed in the West with a 57, 25 record. They swept the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round before defeating the Utah Jazz in four games. The Western Conference finals saw them defeat the Phoenix Suns in six games. Ron Artest made an off-balance layup to beat the buzzer in Game 5 of that series.
Game One ended with a 102, 89 victory for the Lakers on June 3. A seven-two run by bench players Jordan Farmar and Shannon Brown helped secure the win. Ray Allen hit eight of eleven three-pointers in Game Two, breaking a Finals record previously set by Kenny Smith. Rajon Rondo recorded a triple-double with nineteen points, twelve rebounds, and ten assists. Derek Fisher scored eleven of his sixteen points in the fourth quarter of Game Three to give the Lakers a 91, 84 lead. Paul Pierce led the Celtics with nineteen points in Game Four while Andrew Bynum sat out the second half due to knee swelling. Game Five saw Pierce score twenty-seven points on fifty-seven percent shooting. The Celtics won this game to take a 3, 2 series lead. Kendrick Perkins suffered a serious knee injury in Game Six, tearing both his PCL and MCL. This injury left the Celtics vulnerable on defense and rebounding. The Lakers won Game Six 89, 67 to force a decisive Game Seven. Ron Artest sank a critical three-pointer late in the fourth quarter of Game Seven to restore a six-point lead. Kobe Bryant scored twenty-three points despite shooting only six of twenty-four from the field.
ABC televised the Finals for the eighth consecutive year in the United States. Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, and Jeff Van Gundy provided commentary for the games. Game One attracted fourteen point one million viewers, the most watched opening game since 2005. That broadcast achieved an eight point six rating percentage among households. Game Seven drew the highest average number of viewers at twenty-eight point two million. This figure was the highest since 1998 when thirty-five point nine million watched the Chicago Bulls defeat the Utah Jazz. Local affiliates included Los Angeles' KABC-TV and Boston's WCVB-TV. Radio broadcasts were carried by KSPN in Los Angeles and WEEI in Boston. Spero Dedes and Mychal Thompson announced for the Lakers while Sean Grande and Cedric Maxwell handled Celtics coverage. The average audience across all seven games reached eighteen point one million viewers.
Lakers head coach Phil Jackson earned his eleventh NBA championship title on June 17. He extended his record for most championships won by a coach or general manager in major North American sports. Bryant received his second consecutive Finals MVP Award. On June 21, a victory parade took place for the Lakers team. Over sixty-five thousand people attended the event which began at Staples Center. Players rode on open-air floats equipped with loudspeakers to address spectators. Ron Artest led crowds chanting "Boston sucks!" during the procession. The team visited President Barack Obama at the THEARC Boys and Girls Club in Washington DC in December 2010. They presented him with a banner declaring them 2009, 10 NBA World Champions. Luke Walton became part of the only father-son duo to win multiple NBA championships as of 2011. Bill Walton won titles in 1980 and 1984 while Luke won in 2000 and 2010.
The Lakers franchise total reached sixteen championships after this series. This marked their fifth Finals win in eleven seasons since moving from Minneapolis in 1960. The team would not return to the Finals until 2020 when they defeated the Miami Heat. That championship was won by LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Ray Allen departed for the Miami Heat in 2012 where he won his second title in 2013. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett were traded to the Brooklyn Nets following that season. Rajon Rondo joined the Dallas Mavericks early into the 2014, 15 season before later joining the Lakers in 2018. The Celtics did not make it back to the Finals until 2022 when they lost to the Golden State Warriors. They returned again in 2024 to defeat the Dallas Mavericks and win their eighteenth championship. Doc Rivers predicted the Big Three core had five years together before decline, which proved correct in 2012.
Continue Browsing
Common questions
When did the 2010 NBA Finals begin and end?
The 2010 NBA Finals began on June 3 and concluded on June 17. This best-of-seven series marked the twelfth meeting between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics.
Who won the 2010 NBA Finals and what was the final score of Game Seven?
The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics to win the championship. Ron Artest sank a critical three-pointer late in the fourth quarter of Game Seven to restore a six-point lead before Kobe Bryant scored twenty-three points for the victory.
How many viewers watched Game Seven of the 2010 NBA Finals?
Game Seven drew an average of twenty-eight point two million viewers. That figure represented the highest audience count since 1998 when thirty-five point nine million watched the Chicago Bulls defeat the Utah Jazz.
What record did Phil Jackson set by winning the 2010 NBA Finals?
Lakers head coach Phil Jackson earned his eleventh NBA championship title on June 17. He extended his record for most championships won by a coach or general manager in major North American sports.
Which team reached the 2010 NBA Finals with a better road record than home record?
The Boston Celtics became the first team in history to reach the Finals with a better road record than home record. They entered the playoffs as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference with a 50, 32 record.