Why Celtics Will Repeat As Champions Despite Banner-Or-Bust Pressure

The Boston Celtics unveiled their mindset as the reigning NBA champions three weeks ago, setting the record straight that regardless of what happened last season, the 2024-25 campaign is a completely new slate so the Larry O’Brien Trophy is up for grabs.

No kidding, right?

Sure, the Celtics have the — on paper — most talented roster in the league, until proven otherwise. Everyone, besides dispensable role players Oshae Brissett and Svi Mykhailiuk, were retained and it cost the franchise over $500 million — on top of the $286 million it kept to re-sign Jaylen Brown, and $60 million for Kristaps Porzingis, plus the $135 million given to Jrue Holiday. Boston spared no expense once the secret formula cast was discovered, a league-leading 64 wins were logged and Banner 18 was once and for all captured. But those credits don’t transfer.

There have been only 13 teams in NBA history to win back-to-back titles, which alone, puts in perspective just how immensely difficult it is to reach that rare feat. The Golden State Warriors, in the prime of their dynasty, were the last team to do so and that roster had Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant.

The Celtics aren’t allowing the champagne showers, duck boat parade celebration or upcoming banner-raising ceremony to cloud their perspective. Boston was last season’s champion, not this season’s — yet.

“This team, 2024-25 Celtics, is not great yet,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said at Saturday’s practice, per CLNS Media. “Like, that’s it right there. Do we have the potential to be? Yes. Yet, the keyword, ‘Yet,’ is very important. Do we have great talent? Yes. Do we have great players? Yes. Do we have a great foundation? Yes. Is this 24-25 team great yet? No, because we haven’t been in a game. It just takes time and every season is different and assuming that you’re just going to — what we say before — doing this in the past doesn’t necessarily mean this is going to work now. So we have to say open-minded to going to something different.”

Mazzulla continued: “I think that humility of understanding we have to get better is what keeps us, the process of a mundane (season), fun.”

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Boston entered last season with all the motivation in the world to at last get over the hump. The Eastern Conference had been up for the taking, and with Celtics killer Jimmy Butler down before both parties crossed paths in the first round, Boston proved that its biggest lesson — playing down to lesser competition — had been learned. The Celtics dusted not only the Miami Heat, but the Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers and Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks with a near-spotless 16-3 postseason run before officially taking over as the NBA’s most championed franchise.

Even though Banner 18 validated Brown and co-star Jayson Tatum as winners at ages 27 and 26, respectively, what’s working to their advantage this upcoming season is the motivation factor once again. Therefore, even with a ring on their hands, Brown and Tatum have an edge and a chip on their shoulders to prove that 2023-24 wasn’t a fluke, but the start of something greater in the works.

Like last season, everything’s in place and up for grabs for the Jays.

“The year before when we lost (to the Miami Heat in the conference finals), it was kind of like the lowest of lows for me,” Brown said at last month’s team media day. “I feel like it was my responsibility when we lost in Game 7 and fell short. And then now it feels like we won and it was the same kind of deal but just the opposite end of the spectrum. … It kind of feels weirdly, oddly enough the same. So I’m excited just to start the journey again. Could’ve used another couple of weeks but no complaints here. I’d rather end every season like we did last year so let’s get it going.”

Brown spent a busy offseason launching a new sneaker brand (741), a nonprofit (Boston XChange) and a debut single (Just Do It), but the culmination of those off-court ventures — plus being the reigning NBA Finals MVP — didn’t make up for one thing: the Olympics. USA Basketball snubbed Brown, who expressed interest in playing during last year’s media day, by adding teammate Derrick White to replace a withdrawn Kawhi Leonard (knee) with little-to-no explanation.

Tatum, who did play for Team USA, also didn’t create many fond memories with Steve Kerr, Erik Spoelstra, Grant Hill and the rest of the coaching staff despite being a member of their gold medal-winning roster. Tatum was a DNP twice, averaged 17.7 minutes through six appearances and rarely had opportunities to contribute — fresh off signing a record-large $315 million supermax contract with the Celtics this summer.

“I think the important thing is being proud of what we did last season and last year was amazing,” Tatum said on media day. “We were an incredible team and we made history. And this year, not necessarily feeling like we have to defend the title but we have to go win it. We had a target on our back the last couple of years. Nothing has changed in that aspect. If anything, we know how great it felt to win and what it took and we’re trying to win again. Not necessarily defend it, but just like anybody else we wanna go win a championship.”

If the rest of the league is banking on an injured Kristaps Porzingis, flustered Brown and Tatum or looming ownership switch concerns to stop the Celtics, it won’t take long for Boston to kick those notions to the side and catapult itself to the top — again.