It took exactly 16 years for the Boston Celtics and their faithful to get back to this moment. Despite this, the formula for winning the NBA Finals has stayed the same. The front office has to make a big acquisition in the offseason and they get to mesh well with the current stars that were developed by the team. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett got a ring out of this. Now, it's Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, and Kristaps Porzingis' turn to do so.
Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett show some love
The 18th banner means a lot for the Celtics. It breaks the five-year championship drought of the city and the nearly two-decade-long heartbreak for the franchise. More importantly, they were able to snag the title of ‘most NBA championships for a franchise' over the Los Angeles Lakers. Everyone who has been around this incredible team rejoiced. No one enjoyed it more than the core of that 2008 Celtics championship who also won it at home.
Kevin Garnett, much like how he reacted to their 17th banner, kept it short and sweet. He looked back to the most iconic set of words that came out of his mouth after reaching basketball immortality with the Celtics.
Paul Pierce, meanwhile, was the one who was super hyped up and let all of his emotions out.
Congratulations to the 23-24 NBA Champions My Boston Celtics
The former Celtics small forward even got the Celtics faithful excited for their championship parade.
Gas up the Duck Boats
Similar to Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce's Celtics, this squad took the long way to basketball immortality. They got close in 2018 but LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers were just way too much. Then, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown's Eastern Conference rivalries with the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks started. Afterward, their NBA Finals run in 2022 met an unfortunate end despite going up 2-1 in the series.
Championships are not easy to come across, especially since the NBA is experiencing an era of parity since 2019. But, this 2008 squad did play a big role in forging this 2024 Celtics roster.
The direct influence of the 2008 Celtics to their 2024 counterparts
It was hard to swallow for Celtics fans when the news of their 17th banner-winning core got traded to the Brooklyn Nets. Little did the faithful know that this was a slow ascent into their 18th Larry O'Brien trophy. Danny Ainge would make the first big move by acquiring Brad Stevens out of Butler. Then, the aging Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett were exchanged for a whole lot of draft capital.
The Celtics received Keith Bogans, Kris Humphries, Gerald Wallace, Kris Joseph, and MarShon Brooks. But, that was not the important part. It was the 2016 and 2017 first-round picks that turned out to be franchise-altering. Those two eventually turned to the third overall picks of their respective drafts. The outcome? It was Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
A big outcome of letting go of that 2008 Celtics frontcourt was the establishment of this 2024 Celtics duo. While these two were hyped, their acceptance of that move back in 2013 was huge for the franchise.
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