BOSTON — Dynasties used to reign over the NBA. However, thanks to the new CBA and an increasingly competitive league, one team dominating year after year feels like a thing of the past. The reigning champion Boston Celtics are trying to change that, and in their attempt, they resemble the rulers of the most recent NBA dynasty, the Golden State Warriors.

The dynastic Dubs won it all during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons. They're the last franchise to capture back-to-back titles and make consecutive appearances in the NBA Finals, as every championship round since 2019 has featured a fresh pair of teams. After five straight seasons without even a back-to-back conference champion, the Celtics are committed to reversing that trend by not only reappearing in the Finals, but also by winning two titles in a row for the first time in franchise history since 1969.

Although going back-to-back is one of the hardest feats in basketball, the Celtics have seemingly followed the Warriors' recipe for success thus far. During the 2023-24 campaign, Boston earned the No. 1 overall seed after posting an impressive 64-18 record in the regular season. In the postseason, the Celtics didn't slow down, handling the Dallas Mavericks in five games in the 2024 NBA Finals for their league-leading 18th title in franchise history.

The first year of the Warriors' back-to-back set played out similarly. The 2016-17 Dubs went 67-15, which was by far the best regular season record in the league. With the No. 1 overall seed in hand, the Warriors cruised to the Finals and dispatched the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games.

In the second season of the Celtics' back-to-back quest, a connection with the Warriors remains. The C's are 58-20 (the third-best record in the league) and in second place in the Eastern Conference, needing the 62-16 Cavs to lose four straight for an outside shot at the top spot. Following their 2016-17 championship season, the Warriors also finished in second place in their conference after going 58-24 (the third-best record in the league).

Despite a less dominant regular season in 2018, the Dubs ended up with another ring, going 16-5 in the playoffs and a stellar 10-1 at home. The Celtics' second act hasn't been quite as impeccable either, yet they've proven they're still a potent threat. In fact, reigning NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown believes the current iteration of the Celtics is better than last year's championship team.

“We're poised with more experience,” he said in March after a 114-108 victory over the Utah Jazz. “We've been there before. I think our trust is there, so we just have to have that mindset each and every night to come out and dominate, which is hard, but I think we're a better team than we were last year.”

How do the Celtics historically line up with the dynastic Warriors?

Any two teams can have similar seasons, yet the link between the Celtics and Warriors goes deeper.

With future Hall of Famers Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, the Warriors furthered the 3-point revolution in the NBA. The Celtics have since carried the torch, leading the league in 3-point attempts this season as well as the last. As luck would have it, the Warriors aren't too far behind, averaging the second-most shots per game from deep this season.

An increased volume of 3-pointers isn't a trend solely embraced by the Celtics and Warriors. Triples are up across the board this season, but only the C's can say they have the 3-point record. During a 123-103 blowout win against the Phoenix Suns in early April, the Celtics officially made the most 3-pointers in a single season with five games remaining. The previous record, of course, belonged to the 2022-23 Warriors.

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The Celtics are chasing the Warriors' accomplishments on the road, too. Golden State went a phenomenal 34-7 away from home during its 2015-16 season, enough for the best road record in NBA history. With two road games left in its regular season schedule, Boston is currently 32-7 outside of TD Garden. If the Celtics can beat the New York Knicks in “The Big Apple” on Tuesday night and defeat the Orlando Magic at the Kia Center less than 24 hours later, they'll share the remarkable record with the team they're hoping to emulate.

How else are the Celtics and Warriors similar?

Records aside, the Celtics and Warriors of old have a comparable build. Boston is led by Brown and Jayson Tatum, its two homegrown stars selected in the 2016 and 2017 NBA Drafts, respectively. Golden State's dynasty was mainly founded by Curry and Thompson, who were also picked in the draft before developing into franchise cornerstones.

Despite everything the dynamic duos have done for their franchises, championships aren't won by just a few players. The Celtics and Warriors exemplify that. Boston couldn't have gotten over the hump last season without pivotal trade acquisitions like center Kristaps Porzingis and guard Jrue Holiday. Additionally, Golden State's 2013 trade for 2015 NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala was arguably the most underrated part of its dynasty.

Conversely, the move everybody talked about during the Warriors' recent stretch of excellence was their addition of Kevin Durant in the summer of 2016. Basketball pundits (and Durant himself) still debate how the Dubs would've fared without the 2017 and 2018 NBA Finals MVP. Although the Celtics didn't lure in a player of that caliber ahead of their 2024 title, a signing they made days before Durant's decision turned out to be a huge boon then and several years later.

Five-time All-Star Al Horford landed in Boston in 2016, and from there, he left an indelible mark on the organization with his commitment to winning and leading the younger Celtics. He had such an impact that even though the C's didn't re-sign Horford in 2019, they traded for him in June of 2021. This reunion resulted in some of the best shooting seasons of Horford's lengthy career and culminated in his first NBA championship.

The C's and Dubs didn't have the same path to their rings, but the likeness in stats, records, and roster construction is undeniable. However, to become the true successor to the Warriors, the Celtics need another championship this season.

Matching road records and netting a historic amount of 3-pointers are commendable achievements, yet the C's know these things don't mean nearly as much without some hardware. While surviving the gauntlet of elite playoff teams specifically designed to take down the reigning champs will be difficult, the Warriors have shown the Celtics that there is a way through.