Led by Jayson Tatum, the Boston Celtics entered last season determined to avenge their 2022-23 Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Miami Heat. This year, they flipped the script, capturing the NBA title after defeating the Dallas Mavericks in the Finals.
The Celtics dominated throughout the regular season and playoffs, so much so that Tatum had a gut feeling early on about their championship destiny.
In an interview with The Boston Globe, Tatum shared the moment he knew his team was bound for glory. “People always ask me, when did you guys know you were going to win a championship?” Tatum said. “When Minnesota beat Denver, I felt like Denver was the only team that matched up best with us. I thought that we were going to play Denver in the Finals and it was going to be a good one.”
Reflecting on the championship, Tatum added, “It’s extremely tough to win the championship. I was super proud of what we were able to accomplish. To come into the next season and just say we’re gonna do it again would be insensitive. A lot has to go right. Our mindset is not ‘let’s win the championship again.’ It’s ‘let’s start over, let’s get better every single day, and let’s not skip any steps.'”
Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics lifts the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. Adam Glanzman/Getty Images
Shaq throws shade at Celtics’ championship run
NBA Hall of Famer and former Lakers star Shaquille O’Neal didn’t mince words when discussing the Celtics’ path to their title. Appearing on The OGs podcast with Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller, Shaq made it clear he wasn’t impressed. “We all know Boston had the easiest run ever to that championship,” O’Neal said, taking a jab at their playoff competition.
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Shaq also issued a challenge to the Eastern Conference contenders for the upcoming season, especially calling out the Philadelphia 76ers. “Can they back it up? That’s all. Can you back it up? Okay, you had the easy run, it don’t matter. Can you back it up? What you gonna do, Philly? Paul George? Joel Embiid? What you gonna do, Milwaukee? Orlando, what y’all gonna do? Miami? So in the East, I’m looking forward to that story.”
Kyrie Irving reflects on his finals performance against Celtics
In a recent Twitch stream, Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving opened up about Dallas’ Finals loss to the Celtics and took accountability for his own performance. “Last year was definitely disappointing from the standpoint of not winning the Finals as a team and coming up short,” Irving admitted. “We got there for a reason. Blood is definitely in the water.”
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Irving went on to express his frustration with his play down the stretch. “I’m always going to take accountability, and it starts with me,” he said. “I didn’t play my best at all down the stretch, and it’s been eating me alive in a healthy way. I’ve been staying motivated. We’re gonna be back. Just gonna have fun and take it day by day. But losing f— sucks, though.”
