The Boston Celtics are on top of the NBA world once again after defeating the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday night. Boston now has 18 championships in franchise history, surpassing the Los Angeles Lakers for the most all-time.
The Celtics have been one of the top teams in the league for the last few years but had trouble getting over the hump. Last year, Boston lost to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. And during the 2021-22 season, the Celtics fell to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. This is the first title for Boston since the 2007-08 season when the team was anchored by Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett.
Jayson Tatum is finally an NBA champion after being named an All-Star five times and being selected to the All-NBA Team four times. Before Game 5, Tatum spoke to reporters about the pressure the Celtics feel to bring home an 18th title.
“I don’t look at it as pressure,” Tatum said. “I do notice, especially this time of the season, playoff time and obviously being in the Finals for the second time. When you drive around and go to the gas station, or I wanted to go get some ice cream yesterday, it’s Celtics gear everywhere and everybody is super excited about this team and what we have accomplished and what we have the chance to accomplish.
“You really just feel the love and support from everybody in the city of Boston, and how bad they want us to win, how much they have been cheering for us. So I don’t look at it as pressure. Just unconditional support, and that we have an amazing fan base here.”
The Boston Celtics are a ‘resilient group’
Another longtime Celtic that is now a champion is Jaylen Brown who has been with the team since 2016. In Brown’s career, he has been named an All-Star three times and was selected to the All-NBA Second Team in 2023.
“We have a great group, resilient group, and we don’t like to lose,” Brown told reporters before Game 5. “We do our best to prepare each and every night, each and every game, and we look forward to the next game on the schedule.”
Al Horford who has been playing in the NBA since 2007, has earned his first championship. This is his second stint with the Celtics after spending time with the team from 2016 to 2019. Jrue Holiday is another longtime NBA veteran who was a key contributor for the Celtics this year. This is his second title after winning one with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021.
The post Boston Celtics win 2024 NBA Championship over Dallas Mavericks appeared first on On3.