Gold and Green: Top Players Who Played for Both the Lakers and Celtics | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

You've probably heard that the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics are set to square off in the NBA Finals once again. This will be the twelfth meeting between the two teams on the league's biggest stage.

Lakers vs. Celtics is undoubtedly one of the top rivalries in all of sports. 

In the 1980's, it was the Lakers' Magic Johnson vs. the Celtics' Larry Bird. Nowadays it's Kobe Bryant vs. Kevin Garnett and co.

Several players throughout history have donned both Lakers gold and Celtics green, which is kind of like a Major Leaguer playing for both the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.

The following list will cover the top five players of all time who have spent time with both the Lakers and Celtics, even if it was just a few games with each franchise.

5. Rick Fox

The only two teams Fox played for during his 13-year were the Celtics and Lakers.

The former North Carolina Tar Heel was selected by the Celtics in the first round of the 1991 NBA Draft. After backing up Bird as a rookie, he played five additional seasons in Boston.

Fox signed with L.A. as a free agent in 1997 and served as a valuable role player on three Laker championship teams in the early 2000s.  

4. Don Nelson

Nelson is the NBA's all-time winningest coach and he wasn't too bad as a player either.

"Nellie" played two of his first three seasons with the Lakers before heading East to sign with the Celtics in 1965.    

He helped Boston win five championships during the '60's and '70's. His famous shot in Game Seven of the '69 finals, lifted the C's to a title over the rival Lakers. 

In addition, Nelson is the only player on this list who has had his number retired by either team. His No. 19 is retired by the Celtics.

3. Charlie Scott

Scott was drafted by the Celtics in 1970, but chose to play for the ABA's Virginia Squires instead.

Scott was later traded back to Boston in 1975 for former NBA All-Star and current Sacramento Kings coach Paul Westphal. Scott won a title with the Celtics in his first year with the team.

He was traded by the Celtics to the Lakers in 1977. The two-time, ABA All-Star and three-time, NBA All-Star appeared in just 48 games for the purple and gold.

2. Bob McAdoo

McAdoo played only 20 games for the Celtics during the 1978-79 season averaging 20 points and seven rebounds.  

The one-time NBA MVP and five-time All-Star was later dealt to the Lakers in 1981 in exchange for a future second-round draft pick.  

McAdoo emerged as a "super-sub" in L.A. helping the Lakers capture two titles during his four seasons with the team.

1. Gary Payton

Chasing the first championship ring of his career, Payton took a huge pay cut to sign with the Lakers prior to the 2003-04 season.

The longtime Seattle Supersonic joined fellow superstars Shaquille O'Neal, Bryant, and the newly-acquired Karl Malone to form a "Fantastic Four" in Los Angeles, which was expected to lead the Lakers to a title.

Payton failed to win a championship during his one season with the Lakers, but would later win one a few years later with O'Neal and the Miami Heat. 

Payton was dealt, along with Fox, to Boston, in 2004 and spent one season as the Celtics' starting point guard.