The Boston Celtics have a rare opportunity to repeat as NBA champions this season. After winning Banner No. 18 in 2024, Boston didn’t miss a beat this season by claiming the second seed in the Eastern Conference with a 61-21 record.
Boston are aiming their first repeat in 56 years. The last time they did it was the 1968-69 season when they defeated a stacked Los Angeles Lakers squad in the NBA Finals in seven games.
Winning the second title solidifies the current core’s legacy, which the previous “Big 3” failed to do. When the 2007-08 Boston Celtics won Banner No. 17, they couldn’t defend their title in the following season due to Kevin Garnett’s knee injury.
The core of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Rajon Rondo continued to be contenders in the Eastern Conference until 2011-12, but the team had to wait 16 years to add another championship to the rafters.
Boston Celtics News: Jaylen Brown doubles down on rare repeat opportunity
Despite being dubbed the favorites, the Boston Celtics are “hungry” ahead of the postseason. As the second seed, they will await the winner between the seven vs. eight matchup in the play-in tournament.
“There is only a (small) amount of teams that have (repeated) in history and … it’s been over 50 years since the last time it’s been done (in Boston). So that creates a desire and a hunger,” Jaylen Brown said via Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. “A lot of times you’re going into series and they’re going to be like, ‘The other team is going to be more hungry.’ I think it’s a lot harder to win two than it is to win one, if I’m not mistaken.”
“So, I think we’re chasing that. I think we’re hungry about that. And I think we’re going to go into some of these series (as) the hungrier team,” he added.
