"Beat the Celtics": Ric Flair amps up LeBron James & Luka Doncic to take down Lakers' rivals in marquee showdown

Wrestling legend Ric Flair sent a message to the LA Lakers ahead of their much-anticipated matchup against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. After winning the first game 117-96 on Jan. 23, the Lakers will try to sweep the regular-season series against their franchise rivals on Saturday as +7.5 underdogs on the road.

Flair took to X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday to fire up LeBron James, Luka Doncic and the Lakers with a message of support and a picture of himself.

"Laker Born, Laker Bred, Always Going To Die Laker Dead! LBJ @KingJames, You Are The Man! And @luka7doncic, You Aren’t Far Behind! Go @Lakers! Beat The @celtics! LFG! WOOOOO!"

Flair, a 16-time world champion across multiple wrestling promotions, including WWF/WWE and NWA, is a passionate Lakers fan. He hopes the team can extend its winning streak to eight games tonight.

The 17-time NBA champions have had a remarkable 2024-25 season despite an inconsistent start under J.J. Redick. Since the new year began, the Purple and Gold have elevated their play, defeating top-tier opponents on their way to eight consecutive wins.

Both teams currently hold the No. 2 seed in their respective conferences, with the Lakers trailing the OKC Thunder and the Celtics behind the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Luka Doncic makes his Lakers-Celtics rivalry debut

Luka Doncic will play in his first duel against the Boston Celtics after being traded to the LA Lakers from the Dallas Mavericks at the start of February. The Slovenian star has unfinished business with Boston after losing the 2024 NBA Finals to the Celtics.

Since joining the Lakers, Doncic is averaging 29.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game.

In his first game against Boston as a Laker, LeBron James recorded a triple-double, leading LA to a 129-128 victory in 2019. James finished with 28 points, 12 rebounds, 12 assists and three steals.