Rising up, Jayson Tatum was a loyal fan of the Los Angeles Lakers and admired Kobe Bryant deeply. He was tantalisingly near taking part in for his favorite staff when the Lakers had the chance to draft him in 2017.
“It was loopy that the Lakers had the second choose, and I used to be so near a dream come true. But it surely was like they didn’t need something to do with me on the time,” Tatum instructed ESPN in a 2022 interview.
It was poetic irony then that he performed a pivotal function within the Boston Celtics’ title-winning run within the 2023-24 season, serving to the staff carry the championship trophy for a document 18th time, surpassing the Lakers’ earlier document.
Celtics’ dominant season
The Celtics had an distinctive season this yr, deserving some extent of boasting. Below the steering of head coach Joe Mazzulla, who has been on the helm since 2022, the staff clinched the highest spot in each the Atlantic Division and the Jap Convention earlier than coming into the Playoffs.
This marked the seventh time it topped each division and convention standings. Within the earlier six cases — 1973-74, 1975-76, 1980-81, 1983-84, 1985-86, and 2007-08 — the staff lifted the Larry O’Brien Championship trophy. This season, the franchise continued this pattern.
Tatum (0) performed a pivotal function within the Boston Celtics’ title-winning run within the 2023-24 season, serving to the staff carry the championship trophy for a document 18th time, surpassing the Lakers’ earlier document.
| Picture Credit score:
Reuters
Tatum (0) performed a pivotal function within the Boston Celtics’ title-winning run within the 2023-24 season, serving to the staff carry the championship trophy for a document 18th time, surpassing the Lakers’ earlier document.
| Picture Credit score:
Reuters
Within the first spherical, the Celtics confronted the Miami Warmth. Within the best-of-seven sequence, the Celtics wrapped issues up 4-1, comfortably cruising to the Convention semifinals, the place it defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers with the identical 4-1 scoreline. It then swept the Indiana Pacers 4-0 within the Convention finals.
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Within the NBA Finals, the Celtics met the Dallas Mavericks for the primary time within the competitors’s historical past. Regardless of Dallas being armed with Luka Doncic – the Slovenian forward-guard who was a contender for the MVP award with a points-per-game common of 33.9 – Boston prolonged Dallas’ look forward to a second NBA title.
Lacklustre Lakers and not-so-golden Warriors
Throughout the late ‘90s to late 2000s, the Los Angeles Lakers, led by legends Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, celebrated 5 title-winning seasons. Nevertheless, following O’Neal’s retirement in 2011 and through Bryant’s last years, the Lakers didn’t qualify for the Playoffs for six straight seasons.
Its fortunes modified with the signing of LeBron James, whose 2019-20 season not solely helped his staff carry the trophy after a decade but in addition earned him the MVP title. Nevertheless, issues have been quiet since then.
After failing to make it previous the primary spherical within the 2020-21 season, the Lakers didn’t qualify for the Playoffs the next yr. There was a slight enchancment within the 2022-23 season when the Lakers reached the Convention finals, however they confronted one other first-round exit this previous season.
LeBron James and Stephen Curry.
| Picture Credit score:
AFP
LeBron James and Stephen Curry.
| Picture Credit score:
AFP
Maybe the promise of the first-ever father-son duo in NBA historical past with LeBron and Bronny James might reap some rewards within the upcoming season, however solely time will inform.
Apparently, the defending champion Denver Nuggets, which knocked out the Lakers this time round, was ousted by the Minnesota Timberwolves within the Convention semifinals.
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Over in San Francisco, whereas level guard Stephen Curry obtained the Clutch Participant of the Yr Award, his staff, the Golden State Warriors, had a season to neglect. The six-time champion didn’t make the Playoffs after dropping to Sacramento Kings within the Play-in match.
The Warriors might have simply regarded again on the 2021-22 season, when it clinched its sixth title, for some solutions. Maybe it relied an excessive amount of on Curry, who completed his fifteenth season as a Warrior. The subsequent greatest points-per-game to Curry’s 26.4 was Klay Thompson’s 17.9.
Mr. Constant
Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic.
| Picture Credit score:
AP
Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic.
| Picture Credit score:
AP
Nikola Jokic of Serbia was adjudged the Most Priceless Participant of the common season in 2024. This was his third MVP title, with the opposite two coming in 2021 and 2022. Jokic has been with the Denver Nuggets for the reason that 2015-16 season and has proven a gentle rise in his scoring price.
Within the 2018-19 season, he crossed 1500 factors throughout the common season. Over the previous 4 seasons, he has had two 2000+ factors seasons – 2021-22 and 2023-24. Within the yr he helped his staff win its maiden NBA title, Jokic amassed 1690 factors with a median of 24.5.
Whereas Jokic and his staff couldn’t defend its title towards an in-form Celtics, it’ll hope to financial institution on the Serbian star to steer by instance subsequent season and clinch its second title in three years.