Boston Celtics legend Bob Cousy knows a thing or two about winning. During his illustrious basketball career, he earned an NCAA title and six NBA championships and cemented himself as an all-time winner. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, he helped establish the first dynasty in Celtics history alongside esteemed center Bill Russell and a few other future Hall of Famers.
Although Cousy's playing days are long over, he sees another opportunity for a dynasty with the current iteration of the Green Team, per Bill Doyle of the Telegram & Gazette.
“I think they have the potential to create a mini-dynasty,” Cousy revealed, “obviously because of their age, their motivation. Joe [Mazzulla] seems to be a good coach. So on paper, if I would choose who is going to be the favorite the next few years, I’d say the Celtics again.”
Repeating champions were a lot more common when Cousy and company dominated the parquet floor. In today's era of the NBA, there's more parity, as no squad has won back-to-back titles since the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018. In fact, a team hasn't made consecutive appearances in the NBA Finals since 2019, demonstrating just how unpredictable the road to a ring has been in recent years.
Cousy believes that'll change after watching the 2023-24 Celtics dominate en route to their first championship in over 15 years. And there are plenty of reasons that support his thinking.
How the 2024-25 Celtics plan on running it back
Due to the craziness of free agency, keeping a team together is difficult in the modern NBA. Moreover, with the restrictions stemming from the new CBA, it's financially difficult to have multiple stars under contract for long. This makes the task of maintaining a championship core harder than ever.
However, the Celtics have paid those limitations no mind this offseason. Celtics star Jayson Tatum received the richest contract in league history and two-way guard Derrick White was extended via a four-year, $125 million deal. Those major moves solidified Boston's starting five for next season, as center Kristaps Porzingis, guard Jrue Holiday, and reigning Finals MVP Jaylen Brown were all already on the books.
The Celtics aren't just returning their starting five, though. They're also bringing back most of their bench. Veteran center Al Horford is delaying retirement and staying with the C's once again. Backup centers Luke Kornet, Xavier Tillman Sr., and Neemias Queta all received either new deals or extensions this summer as well.
Bench point guard Payton Pritchard agreed to stick with the Celtics before the 2023-24 campaign and was rewarded with the most minutes of his young career. Meanwhile, sharp-shooter Sam Hauser made his decision to stay in green this offseason, agreeing to a four-year, $45 million contract extension on Sunday.
14 of the Celtics' 15 roster spots are filled, with 2024 rookie Baylor Scheierman being the only new name in that group thus far. Former Celtics reserves Oshae Brissett and Svi Mykhailiuk are currently testing free agency after winning it all with Boston in June, yet a potential return for either one of them hasn't been completely ruled out.
In a time of roster upheaval and frequent change, the Celtics have managed to bring back nearly the same championship team. That impressive feat is another outstanding achievement for reigning NBA Executive of the Year and Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens. It's also another point of evidence that bolsters Cousy's claim.
Additionally, as Cousy said, the Celtics are relatively young and undoubtedly hungry. Tatum and Brown are both years away from turning 30 and Horford, at 38 years old, is seemingly the only Celtic on the verge of withdrawing from the Association. Even 36-year-old head coach Joe Mazzulla is far from calling it quits.
As for the “motivation” Cousy mentioned, that still appears to be very present within the Celtics organization despite recent successes, via CelticsBlog reporter Noa Dalzell.
“The process kind of starts now,” Brown said at Celtics Summer League when asked about the prospect of winning consecutive championships. “Get back to work, put that chip back on your shoulder, the same motivation you had going into the season before. You connect with your guys, try to build great chemistry, great energy. It’s going to take sacrifice again next year. I’m excited to be a part of that.”
Winning one championship is tough enough, so going back-to-back could be even more challenging for the Celtics. The rest of the NBA is aiming to catch up this summer and every team will be eager to give the C's their best shot during the regular season.
Yet, Cousy seems to think they're built to last, and if anybody would know, it's the Worcester, Massachusetts resident with enough championship rings for two hands.
Follow Us
Subscribe
