Last season, the Boston Celtics secured the 18th championship in franchise history. Led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, head coach Joe Mazzulla’s team dominated both the regular season and the playoffs, with the Celtics holding their postseason opponents to under 100 points in 11 of their 19 games.
Despite what some believe was an easy postseason run, the Celtics remained locked in at every turn as they tried to banish the memories of their 2022 NBA Finals loss to the Golden State Warriors. During a recent interview with Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe, Tatum opened up on the moment he knew the Celtics would secure their first championship since 2008.
“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 they 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.”
Rather than a slobber-knocker against the Denver Nuggets, the Celtics faced off against the Dallas Mavericks, who they beat in five games. Boston’s deep playoff experience likely played a part in their success, as did their loss to the Golden State Warriors in 2022.
The Celtics will now enter the new season with a target on their back. Mazzulla’s team must prove that it’s success wasn’t a product of circumstance and that it can continue to challenge for championships in the coming years.
“[Coach] Joe Mazzulla, he had a great quote the other day,” Tatum said. “He said, we’re not defending anything. We’re chasing another championship… Honestly, after opening night, we have to put it behind us. It’s a new season. Last year was last year, we accomplished something special. We’ve got to figure out a way to get better. We wanted to approach the game with the same mind-set, and we did an amazing job of that last year.”
Multiple teams around the NBA have improved this summer, especially in the Eastern Conference. Paul George joined the Philadelphia 76ers and Mikal Bridges teamed up with Jalen Brunson and crew in New York. As such, Tatum can’t focus on just one team to confirm whether his team will win back-to-back championships. Instead, he and the rest of his teammates must embrace the grind. The Celtics have a point to prove and the upcoming season is the perfect platform on which to prove it.
