Celtics are team for the ages
Fred Jeter | 6/27/2024, 6 p.m.
Along with being crowned the 2024 NBA champions, the Boston Celtics are now the all-time NBA kingpins. After overwhelming Dallas on June 17 in five games for the current title, Boston now has a record 18 championships, one more than the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Celtics were so dominant throughout this season, you almost don’t know where to begin in awarding accolades.
Let’s start with the coach.
No Average Joe: Joe Mazzulla, 35, becomes the youngest head coach since 1970 (Bill Russell with Boston) to win an NBA title. In his two seasons (first as interim) as Boston head coach, his record of 121-43 (74%) is best in NBA history for any coach with at least 150 games.
---
Beantown Brown: The 6-foot-6 forward averaged 21 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals in the Finals to claim the Bill Russell Finals MVP Trophy. He was also instrumental in defending Dallas star Luka Doncic.
In 2023, Brown signed a five-year, $304 million contract with the Celtics. He’s paid dividends.
Off the floor, Brown (who wears No. 7) is founder of the 7uice program around Boston to assist Black and brown children in their efforts to succeed.
Don’t forget Jayson: Jayson Tatum wasn’t the MVP, but he could have been.
In the five-game Finals, Tatum averaged 22 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. He had 31 points to go with eight boards and 11 assists in the clincher.
Tatum becomes the seventh Duke alumnus to claim an NBA title following Jeff Mullins, Danny Ferry, Shane Battier, Dahntay Jones, Quinn Cook and Jack White.
Finally: In his 18th NBA season, 38-year-old Al Horford won his first title.
The former Florida All-American came to the Celtics’ rescue when versatile 7-foot-2 Kristaps Porzingis was injured in the early goings of the playoffs and made a limited contribution.
Porzingis’ absence could have sunk Boston’s ship. But it didn’t due to “Ageless Al,” who became the first Dominican native to claim an NBA ring.
Looking ahead: The Celtics should start next season as a clear favorite to repeat. All the star players are locked into contracts through 2025. Fans won’t have long to wait. The new season starts Oct. 22.