A private school in greater St. Louis could produce two champions this June. Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum is pursuing his first ring in the 2024 NBA Finals versus the Dallas Mavericks, while his former classmate Matthew Tkachuk is trying to raise the Stanley Cup for the Florida Panthers.

Tatum grew up in St. Louis and attended Chaminade College Preparatory School when he was younger. Fellow St. Louis native and NBA star Bradley Beal also went to the same private school, he was just a few grades ahead of Tatum.

Tkachuk happened to be in the same grade as Tatum and the two even did some classwork together. While they've since left the classroom, both stars find themselves in similar positions yet again.

After taking Game 3 of the Finals on Wednesday night, the Celtics are up 3-0 heading into Game 4 on Friday. Meanwhile, the Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers in Game 2 on Monday evening, giving Florida a 2-0 lead prior to Game 3 on Thursday.

When asked about Tkachuk during his Tuesday afternoon press conference, Tatum told the media that he was rooting for his fellow Chaminade grad.

“We went to school together. I actually watched him win last night,” he said. “Trying to learn and understand the rules in the game of hockey more and more. I got to watch the game last night. They won. Like I said, I'm extremely happy for him and his family. Hopefully they win it all.”

Celtics fans might not share that same sentiment, as Tkachuk's Panthers have eliminated the Boston Bruins at TD Garden two years straight. However, Boston loyalists still have a chance to celebrate a title thanks to Tatum and company.

How Jayson Tatum and Matthew Tkachuk can both win championships this year

Outside of their Missouri beginnings, there are plenty of shared aspects between the careers of Jayson Tatum and Matthew Tkachuk.

Both have All-Star nods and have been on their fair share of good teams. However, at the moment, neither has a championship ring to show for it.

The Panthers made an unlikely run to the Stanley Cup Final last year but lost in five games to the Las Vegas Golden Knights. The Celtics had a lengthy, expected playoff run, yet that was cut short in the Eastern Conference Finals, as the Miami Heat upset Boston in seven games.

Since Tatum and Tkachuk are up 3-0 and 2-0 in their respective series, they've both never been closer to winning it all. In order to get it done though, they have to realize that there's still plenty of work to do.

On the basketball side, Tatum knows nothing is guaranteed.

“We still have to play the right way. We've still got to win,” he said in his postgame remarks on Wednesday. “They are not going to quit, and we should expect the best from them from here on out.”

The five-time All-Star struggled to find his offensive rhythm early on in the Finals. But in Game 3 he dropped 31 points, his highest output in any Finals game, en route to a 106-99 victory.

Scoring through Dallas' heavy defensive pressure isn't easy, yet Tatum has managed to make the most of it with his passing. The Duke product is averaging 7.3 assists per game, which is the most of any player on either side during this championship series.

His ability to draw defenders and create open looks for others has been crucial to Boston's success.

“[Shooting is] not the only thing that I bring to the table, not being defined by that,” Tatum stated. “How much I've grown and developed as a player, reading the game, understanding what the defense is trying to take away, giving up. The guys that I've studied, the best of the best players, have always just found a way. That's just all I've been trying to do, is find a way to do whatever I can.”

Game 4 presents Jayson Tatum with an opportunity to help the Celtics win their first title in over 15 years. He—and Matthew Tkachuk—will be focused on ending the championship droughts for their franchises and bringing some hometown glory back to St. Louis.