The Boston Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals, and it was a dominant performance from the Eastern Conference team. The Celtics were clicking on all levels, and they only lost one game in the series. Usually, players know when they're about to win a series, and it could be during one of the games.

For Jayson Tatum, he knew way before they played the Mavericks that they were going to win the title.

“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.”

The Nuggets were the favorites to win the Western Conference after winning the championship in 2023, but they were defeated by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round of the playoffs. That left the Timberwolves and Mavericks, two teams that hadn't had much experience getting far into the playoffs. Tatum believed in his team and knew that they would have a good chance against whoever they were going to face.

Jayson Tatum ready for Celtics to defend title

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) celebrates after beating the Dallas Mavericks in game five of the 2024 NBA Finals to win the NBA Championship at TD Garden.
Peter Casey-Imagn Images

The Boston Celtics should be the favorites to win the title once again when the season starts, and it wouldn't be a surprise if they went back-to-back. Tatum now knows how hard it is to win, and spoke during a press tour about how the Celtics are going to take it step-by-step to get another championship.

“It's extremely tough to win the championship,” Tatum said. “I was super proud of what we were able to accomplish. To come into the next season and just say we're gonna do it again would be insensitive. A lot has to go right. And our mindset is not let's win the championship again. Let's start over, let's get better every single day, and let's not skip any steps.”