The Boston Celtics have won the 2024 NBA championship, and its stars have gained fans from everywhere in the world, including celebrities and political figures. After his championship and Olympic gold medal with Team USA, Jayson Tatum even got a special shoutout from celebrity Mindy Kaling at the Democratic National Convention. This mention might take the sting out a little bit from Steve Kerr benching Tatum throughout much of the Paris games.
“I love you Massachusetts. Everyone is always hating on us, but they just don't get it. Go [Boston Red] Sox! Go Jayson Tatum!” Kaling said, concluding her address to loud applause from the audience.
"I love you Massachusetts. Everyone is always hating on us, but they just don't get it. Go [Boston Red] Sox! Go Jayson Tatum!"
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 22, 2024
Mindy Kaling at the DNC 😅pic.twitter.com/Kfy7V8JQIu
"I love you Massachusetts. Everyone is always hating on us, but they just don't get it. Go [Boston Red] Sox! Go Jayson Tatum!" Mindy Kaling at the DNC 😅
Can the Celtics repeat?
It was an eventful season for the Celtics, but as they say, winning the championship is hard, but repeating as champions is even harder. Their stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum might need more than a Mindy Kaling shoutout to go back-to-back.
For instance, no NBA champion since the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018 have won two straight titles. The Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, Warriors, and the Denver Nuggets all failed to reach the Finals again after winning it all, even though many of them finished with contending records for the season.
Moreover, the Minnesota Timberwolves, Dallas Mavericks, and Phoenix Suns present tough obstacles for contenders in the cutthroat Western conference, not to mention the Memphis Grizzlies coming back after injuries and setbacks to Ja Morant and other key players.
With a league-best 64-18 record, the Celtics were the clear title favorites from the start of the playoffs, finally getting over the hump after several heartbreaking losses courtesy of LeBron James, Jimmy Butler, or Stephen Curry. Likewise, their offseason trades may have given them the right pieces they needed to grab the title after years of knocking on the door.
Ironically, the Milwaukee Bucks might have helped Boston win the title by sending defensive guard Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Damian Lillard. After the trade, the Celtics immediately swooped in to grab Holiday from the Blazers fire sale. However, who knows what could happen next season, when Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo get healthy again and finally gel as a unit in time for the playoffs?
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The weaker conference
The Celtics also traded for Kristaps Porzingis, sending the team's heart Marcus Smart to the Grizzlies. Though Porzingis played through injury during the Finals, the team had no problems disposing of the Mavericks in five games.
Maybe the key for the Celtics to repeat is the relatively weaker Eastern conference. For example, the third-seed Bucks would be a play-in team in the West, since they finished with the same 49-33 record as the New Orleans Pelicans. While the East's strength doesn't necessarily give the Celtics a cakewalk to a repeat, they have a bigger chance to reach the Finals again compared to the contenders out West.
With banner 18 under their belt, can the Celtics make history again?
