The Boston Celtics had an incredible 2023-24 campaign. After achieving the best record in the league, the Celtics won the 2024 NBA Finals. Boston boasted several stout top-level contributors, headlined by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. ESPN analyst Brian Windhorst made a bold claim on the talented Celtics squad amid Team USA's stint in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Windhorst discussed the topic of whether winners of the NBA Finals should be called “world champions,” stemming from star USA track and field sprinter Noah Lyles' criticism of the title. Windhorst gave a “nuisance” response to the argument when comparing Boston to international competition.
“If the Boston Celtics were in [the Olympics], I think they'd have a very good chance to win it. Obviously, they would be pulling some players off Team USA… but coming together, I think they'd have a great chance to win. So I'm not going to back down from the Celtics calling themselves world champs,” Windhorst said, via NBA on ESPN.
Contrary to popular belief, Windhorst might have a point. The Celtics' starting five features two All-NBA caliber players, two All-NBA Defensive players, and one All-Star-caliber player. Three of those starters (Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, and Jrue Holiday) already play for Team USA's 2024 squad in the Olympics. Boston may not be able to beat everyone in the world, but they would certainly put up a fight.
As fun as hypotheticals are, the Celtics know they must focus their efforts on NBA competition.
Celtics look to repeat in 2024-25
Boston finished the 2023-24 season with a 64-18 record. Afterward, they lost just two games throughout the entire postseason. Few teams in the NBA can match up with Boston's hard-hitting lineup. Much of the team's firepower starts with Jayson Tatum.
Tatum averaged 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.0 steals through 74 regular season games. His efforts earned him a spot on the All-NBA First Team. Of course, his partner-in-crime made just as great of an impact.
Jaylen Brown entered the 2023-24 season fresh off his first All-NBA honor and did not disappoint. The 27-year-old amassed averages of 23.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per contest during the season. In addition, he came up huge in the Finals with his challenging Luka Doncic matchup. Brown often pressed Doncic full-court, disrupting the star guard's flow of offense. This ultimately helped the Celtics win the title.
It will be interesting to see how Boston continues to fare after their dominant 2023-24 season. Will the talented squad repeat as NBA champions in 2024-25?
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