The latest installment of ESPN's "30 for 30" series will remind and educate viewers on the "history of the rivalry" between the Celtics and Lakers from the '60s "through the two Finals meetings in this century," according to Steve Bulpett of the BOSTON HERALD. The three-part "Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies" airs tonight and tomorrow at 8:00pm ET, and most of the attention is "given to the 1980s wars, likely because there is more and better video to support the story" and because the '08 and '10 Finals "didn't have nearly the same passion." However, "Best of Enemies" is "more than just Celts-Lakers," as it "hits on the history of the NBA and its rise and the ways the game changed." There is a "heavy examination of race, both in the two cities and how the makeup of the clubs impacted their perception among the public at large." The documentary "likely won't transform the way you look at the rivalry, but it's a strong historical piece that will easily make you appreciate it more" (BOSTON HERALD, 6/12). In Boston, Chad Finn writes the film is "sprawling, nostalgic, and relentlessly entertaining," and any fan "worth his or her high tops will want to watch it without prodding." The segments "do not stick to sports -- the Watts riots and the Boston busing crisis are mentioned in more than just passing -- and the result is welcome context and perspective on the rivalry, the respective cities, and our country in a given moment of time" (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/13).
NEAR THE VERY TOP: CNN.com's Brian Lowry wrote while "Best of Enemies" may not be "O.J.: Made in America" in "scope and impact, this high-scoring '30 for 30' effort is the next best thing." It devotes "considerable time to the racial undertones that surrounded the teams and the NBA, with the flashy Lakers and their African-American stars going against the Celtics and the 'Great White Hope' Larry Bird." The documentary also presents a "jarring reminder of how far the NBA has come as an enterprise," with the Bird- Magic Johnson storyline "fostering excitement around a league that struggled in the 1970s, with sluggish attendance widely attributed to white patrons resisting a sport featuring predominantly black stars" (CNN.com, 6/12). In San Jose, Chuck Barney writes the film "not only gets into the heart of the greatest tug-of-war in NBA history," but also shows how their three Finals meetings in the '80s "fueled interest in the league, changed popular culture and set the stage for the tremendous growth and profile of the NBA since" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 6/13). In Toronto, Dave Feschuk noted other chapters of the Celtics-Lakers saga are "explored in the film, including the early days of a rivalry that lacked much back and forth." The Bill Russell-led Celtics "never lost to the Lakers in the midst of their unmatched run of 11 championships in 13 seasons -- a run ... punctuated by Russell requesting that only his teammates, and not the Boston public, be invited to his number-retirement ceremony" (TORONTOSTAR.com, 6/10).
TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING? A.V. CLUB's Noel Murray writes five hours "may be about an hour more" than the documentary needs, as there is "so little here about the '60s, and next to nothing about the revival of the rivalry" in '08 and '10. However, basketball fans will "love the deeper dive into nearly every one of the Celtics/Lakers finals games." Documentary director Jim Podhoretz gets credits for not just repeating the "same points that have been made about the NBA's two most stories franchises." He "provides more scope and context" (AVCLUB.com, 6/13). AWFUL ANNOUNCING's Ben Koo wrote dedicating five hours to the project "is an awfully big ask," as casual fans' interest "will fizzle out during the first part, which mostly chronicles the six match-ups from 1959-1968." However, Celtics and Lakers fans "will LOVE the film," and hardcore NBA fans "will also most certainly" enjoy it (AWFULANNOUNCING.com, 6/12).
