Stephen A Smith Said THIS About Boston Celtics' Chances of Winning Consecutive NBA Titles
Stephen A. Smith shared his opinion on the Celtics' chances of winning the NBA title back-to-back. Let's read.
In June, the Celtics won their eighteenth championship, surpassing the Lakers in the record books. Many NBA analysts think they are more than capable of going back-to-back when the playoffs roll around and that their impressive run in the 2024 Finals wasn't an anomaly. Smith stated on First Take that he also thinks the Celtics must win the championship again.
He said, “I give [the Boston Celtics] better than a 50 percent chance to do it. I think they should be the prohibitive favorites to do it.”
The Golden State Warriors' back-to-back victories in 2018 marked the last time a champion had repeated. With a different NBA Finals winner every season for the last six seasons, the league has entered an unexpected era of parity.
The Celtics, though, are intent on altering that trend. Smith cited Team USA's rejection of Jaylen Brown as his inspiration for the current campaign. Brown took offense when he was left off of Team USA's roster for the Paris Olympics, even though he had won Finals MVP.
Furthermore, Smith feels that Tatum has room to prove himself going into the season even though he was a member of Team USA due to his lack of playing time. In exchange, head coach Steve Kerr gave teammates Derrick White and Jrue Holiday more playing time than the All-NBA forward.
In contrast to previous champions, who are usually afforded the luxury to bask in their magnificent achievement, the Celtics stars had to endure hardships. The fact that the Celtics' best players are starting the season with a chip on their shoulder separates them from previous champions.
Tatum has made it known in the public that he wants to be the MVP this year. The celebrity gave a direct response when asked who he thought would win the coveted award during an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. “Can I say myself?” said Tatum.
However, Brown was enraged by Team USA's rejection of him. The team didn't even have the FMVP and Eastern Conference FMVP winner on their shortlist. The Celtics have approached this season with a laser-like focus due to the external noise.