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The sun has barely set on the 2024 NBA season and for the Boston Celtics it was a double celebration as they not only won the NBA Championship for the first time since 2008- ending a 16 year drought but they are now officially the most decorated NBA franchise in history. Their record-breaking 18th title eclipsed the joint record that they previously held alongside the Lakers with both franchises tied on 17 until June 17, 2024.
After the heartbreak of bouncing out of the 2022-2023 playoffs after very nearly becoming the first team to successfully overturn a 3-0 deficit against the Miami Heat, the work began to rectify mistakes for the new season.
Since that first game of the new season on October 26, 2023, which ended in a 108-104 victory against what turned out to be a pretty good New York Knicks team, the Celtics looked like the real deal and sealed the Championship with their 106-88 win over the Dallas Mavericks to take the NBA Finals series 4-1.
From that first game to their last in the playoffs against the Mavericks, the Celtics were a class outfit and perhaps fittingly won the Championship again on the 17th of June, the same date they won their last one 16 years ago.
Pretty much from start to finish they dominated with a 64-18 overall record in the regular season, a whopping 78% win percentage and finished a gigantic 14 games ahead of the second placed Knicks- albeit in the weaker Eastern Conference. But for reference you have to go out of the play-in teams in the Western conference to see that kind of gap. The last team in the west to make the play-in were the Golden State Warriors who were only 11 games behind the Oklahoma City Thunder who boasted the best record in the west.
The Celtics never really looked in trouble either, you could perhaps say when they were tied 1-1 in their first two playoff series against the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers they were under a bit of pressure, but they went on to win both of those series 4-1. For a team to better their regular season in a full, non-Covid affected season you have to go back to the Houston Rockets in the 2017-2018 regular season (65-17) and for a team that went on to win the championship, that would be the Golden State Warriors dynasty in 2016-2017, who lost 20 total games including the playoffs.
The Celtics did not put a foot wrong all season. Led by their two superstars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, the Celtics put 16 years of hurt and failed Championship runs behind them. Brown and Tatum deserve the plaudits, however, their supporting cast were also among the best in the league and the finishing piece to the jigsaw puzzle for the Celtics.
The rest of their rotation including Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Kristaps Porzingus and Al Horford, amongst others were perhaps the best one through six in the entire league and this showed.
This Championship team was not built overnight. The Celtics had to suffer before they could dream and eventually win. This team's origins started back in 2011 after trading the final remaining core pieces from their 2008 Championship team for several draft picks. However, despite not hitting on all of these picks, their 2016 pick brought Jaylen Brown to the franchise and their 2017 pick swap brought Jayson Tatum.
The rest is history but despite some great seasons and playoff runs such as Eastern Conference and NBA Finals runs, the Celtics could not quite get it done until this year. Several other trades for their role players finally built the championship team they were waiting for.
Trading Kemba Walker and draft picks to the Oklahoma City Thunder helped bring Al Horford back to the Celtics, who despite only starting 33 regular season games, held valuable experience that was critical come the playoffs where he started 14 games. Kristaps Porzingus was the reason Horford was on the bench for much of the season as the big man was brought in to try and end the wait for a title, but his cost was for the loss of the long-serving, fan favourite, Marcus Smart- this seemingly worked out though.
The other two key pieces to the Celtics Championship run were Derrick White and Jrue Holiday. White was not so well-known at the San Antonio Spurs but General Manager Brad Stevens brought White in for his elite perimeter defence and as a playmaking guard. White has become one of the most improved NBA players in the last few years and is now a two-time All-Defensive member.
The Celtics acquired Holiday for Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams III and two draft picks. Holiday was arguably the final missing piece to the puzzle as his Championship experience alongside his physical defence and timely offence.
All these pieces came together to not only put up a fantastic regular season record but also a 16-3 playoff record which has only been bettered once since the NBA moved to seven-game Championship series in 2003 which again was the Golden State Warriors dynasty of 2017 who had a 16-1 playoff record.
The Celtics were record-breakers all season. They joined an elite club, becoming the ninth team ever with three playoff losses or fewer and had the 11th best winning percentage in the regular season of All-Time. Additionally, their overall points differential of +1083 (+10.7 per game) is the fifth best in history.
Boston not only ended their wait for a basketball title, they ended a six-year Boston drought as this was the first major sports Championship won by a Boston team since the Patriots and Red Sox both won back in 2018. The accolades are clear, the Celtics are one of the most decorated teams in USA sports history and ever, the 2024 Celtics can only be proud that they have added to this prestigious heritage.
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