The Boston Celtics are at the top of the world, and the only thing lacking is a Larry O’Brien trophy to be the cherry on top of a phenomenal season.
They cruised through most of the opponents they faced in the postseason. They have two superstars who can take over games and make defending a nightmare for their opponents. Their phenomenal supporting cast also made it easy to see why the C’s are tipped as favorites to win over the Dallas Mavericks.
![Boston Celtics Enter 2024 Finals in Unfamiliar Territory as Bookies' Favorite vs Dallas Mavericks 1 boston celtics jayson tatum jaylen brown](https://www.hardwoodheroics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/skysports-tatum-jayson-jaylen_5236097.jpg)
Some Celtics fans will argue that this season has been a long time coming for them and their team. Their postseason performances over the past five years made it clear to everyone that winning a trophy was more of a question of when than if.
To even drum up the hype for the C’s one statistic regarding their previous Finals matchups makes it all the more clear to fans why this year is different.
Boston Celtics are Vegas favorites for the first time since 1986
![Boston Celtics Enter 2024 Finals in Unfamiliar Territory as Bookies' Favorite vs Dallas Mavericks 2 Jan 22, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) is guarded by Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) during the third quarter at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-USA TODAY Sports](https://www.hardwoodheroics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/USATSI_22352246_168400517_lowres-scaled.jpg)
ESPN BET released an interesting statistic about the Celtics’ previous Finals appearances that puts into perspective just how special the season has been for the team.
The Celtics have been underdogs in four finals appearances (1987, 2008, 2010, 2022) since 1986, winning once in 2008 against the Lakers ☘️ pic.twitter.com/puCNeTNWKj
— ESPN BET (@ESPNBet) June 3, 2024
It’s important to note that the other Celtics teams that made the Finals in 1987, 2008, and 2010 were no slouches when it came to star power.
The 1986-87 squad was led by Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish. They were heavy favorites to win the championship after winning it last season. However, they were taken down by the Showtime Lakers in six games.
The 2008 championship squad featured Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Rajon Rondo at the peak of their powers. They took down a Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol-led Lakers squad to end the Celtics’ 22-year title drought.
![Boston Celtics Enter 2024 Finals in Unfamiliar Territory as Bookies' Favorite vs Dallas Mavericks 3 Boston Celtics, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett](https://www.hardwoodheroics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/USATSI_5978098_168400517_lowres.jpg)
The Pierce-Garnett-Allen trio tried for a second title in 2010, but Kobe and Pau have meshed well and took the title after seven grueling games.
The 2021-22 season was the first Finals trip for the C’s current group of players. Their inexperience showed as the team failed to step up to Stephen Curry’s inhuman performance. However, the bitter loss gives them the ultimate edge against a Mavs squad that only has Kyrie Irving as their sole source of leadership on such a stage.
Everything points to the Boston Celtics winning the title, and it’s up to the team to turn the prediction into reality. Fans can only hope that the weight of expectation doesn’t cause the team to collapse during the game’s most important moments.
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