The Boston Celtics have faced immense pressure to secure a championship in recent years. Since 2019, the team has experienced varied postseason outcomes, including a first-round exit, two Eastern Conference Finals losses and a defeat in the NBA Finals. This year, however, the Celtics overcame these challenges to capture their 18th championship, a record-setting achievement in NBA history.
Players Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have been a part of that five-year journey, and many people believed that they couldn’t coexist because of their similar playing styles. With this championship, however, they can silence the critics and doubters regarding whether or not they can ever win the “big one” together.
To increase the championship odds, the Celtics then added several veteran players such as Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis.
Securing a championship is widely recognized as a formidable challenge — a truth the Celtics can attest to given their trials in recent seasons. Alongside skill and experience, two critical factors that propel teams deep into the playoffs are health and luck. While championship opportunities can swiftly diminish, the Celtics possess the talent necessary to remain competitive for the foreseeable future.
This season, the Celtics benefitted from avoiding a playoff matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks, who were sidelined by injuries and eliminated in the first round. They proceeded to face teams like the Miami Heat without Jimmy Butler, the Cleveland Cavaliers missing Donovan Mitchell, and the Indiana Pacers lacking Tyrese Haliburton for two games. While luck played a part, the Celtics effectively navigated their opponents and successfully advanced to the Finals.
Jayson Tatum: "What they gon say now?!"
Jaylen Brown: "What they gon say!"
JT and JB were HYPED 🍾🏆
(via @NBA)pic.twitter.com/lL99gRSnBh
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 18, 2024
Before every season, media and fans have said that Boston has the talent, but the team lacks the mental toughness to win it all. On June 17, when the clock hit zero, Tatum yelled out, “What they gone say now?” — a rhetorical question to those people trying to create another excuse for the team not winning championships.
Next year, the landscape of the Eastern Conference will change as teams regroup with restored health — and ready to challenge the Celtics at every opportunity. Boston is still young and has two of the best wing players in their prime — and they are only going to get better.
In life, moments of adversity often pave the way for eventual triumph. For the Celtics, each setback they faced served as valuable preparation for the upcoming season, bringing them closer to their ultimate goal. Now, they have finally achieved their breakthrough. For those people who think this is the end for Boston? This is just the beginning.
