Beat LA Origins

One of the best chants in sports has a rather interesting origin:

But that's not when the chant took off in Boston. It actually started as a chant supporting the Philadelphia 76ers.

With 26 seconds to go in Game 7 of the 1982 Eastern Conference finals at the old Garden and the Sixers pulling away from the soon-to-be ex-champs, the crowd began to chant the now-famous phrase. Philadelphia, after all, would be facing the hated Lakers in the NBA Finals.

"You hear what the crowd is chanting to the Sixers? 'Beat LA'" said CBS color commentator and Celtics legend Bill Russell as the Sixers were beating Boston 117-105 as the seconds ticked down.

"Beat LA ... that's great," replied play-by-play man Dick Stockton.

Here's the famous chant in action:
There's only one thing for the Celtics to do, Beat LA.