Lastly, the ’85 Lakers had championship experience. Magic, Kareem and Cooper as well as Kurt Rambis, Bob McAdoo, Jamaal Wilkes, Mitch Kupchak and Mike McGee all had rings from ’82 — some had them from ’80, too — and even though they lost in ’84 in traumatic fashion, that experience served to make them mentally tougher. These ’08 Celtics have yet to go through a Finals experience once together.

Then there is the switcheroo: The ’84 Celtics against these ’08 Lakers.

Much like these current Celtics, the Lakers who will take the court Thursday night are an outstanding team, but there isn’t a widespread sense that they’re a great team. They have the best player in basketball in Kobe Bryant, and two secondary stars in Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. But this is a club driven by one superstar and aided by a bunch of fine role players.

It’s teamwork that has enabled these Lakers to get this far.

And it was teamwork that propelled the ’84 Celtics. The difference is that club had more talent.

The front line of Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Cedric (nee “Cornbread”) Maxwell was preposterously tough on the boards, and when they needed help, they had Kevin McHale coming off the bench. The guards were Dennis Johnson and Gerald Henderson, with Danny Ainge in reserve. Maxwell was as brash as he was effective, telling his teammates before Game 7 against the Lakers that year that he was going to put them on his back and lead them to victory — and he did just that.

Interactive You decide who wins: Celtics or Lakers? Make your picks at each position, then see how your selections compare to other readers.

The current-day Lakers play superior defense when they have to, but they would have no answer for the Celtics’ formidable frontcourt players. Conversely, the one major problem the Celtics would encounter — Kobe — would at least be contained by the brilliant defense of Dennis Johnson. He was the Bruce Bowen of that time, only younger and better.

Usually, when barroom debates break out and comparisons are made, the teams of now — typically bigger, stronger, faster — usually get the nods over the teams of back then. In these examples, however, the overall greatness of those ‘80s teams, combined with the so-far lukewarm assessments of these 2008 foes, combine to settle the argument in favor of the old school graduates.

MORE FROM NBA

NBA Section Front

NBA says refs right to nix Miller buzzer-beater   Wade following in Jordan’s shoes ... literally Heat await a test from Shaq and LeBron Iverson yet to return to Grizzlies Grizzlies rookie Thabeet breaks jaw NBA TV companion gives web help to TV game viewers Abdul-Jabbar has rare form of leukemia Celizic: Kareem confronting ‘scary’ cancer head on   Video: Addul-Jabbar talks about his battle   Slideshow: Abdul-Jabbar’s career highlights NBA Section Front   Add NBA headlines to your news reader: