The rings are distributed. The banner is raised. The floor is kissed.
The Celtics’ championship is officially commemorated.
When Jayson Tatum took the microphone Tuesday, he read the minds of thousands of Celtics fans across the world.
“I can honestly say, to the best fans in the world, let’s do it again,” Tatum said.
Last year is in the past, and the journey to become the first repeat champion since the 2017-18 Warriors is underway. If Tuesday’s resounding 132-109 triumph over the Knicks taught us one thing, it’s that this year’s Celtics have an even higher ceiling than last year’s team.
The Celtics have a year of experience playing with this roster. Bringing back essentially the same exact team is almost unheard of in modern sports these days, and Brad Stevens and Co. deserve a tremendous amount of credit for making that happen.
As memorable as last year was, there’s a very real chance it was simply the beginning of a dynasty. The Celtics channel the mentality of head coach Joe Mazzulla. They don’t see it as pressure to repeat. They view it as an opportunity.
“We have an opportunity here, over the next few years, however long we’re together,” Mazzulla told reporters. “I’ve said in this in the past, we have an opportunity to carry the organization forward, to double down on the tradition and the history of what this organization has.”
Does Joe Mazzulla feel pressure heading into the season?
“Zero. No Pressure. We’re all gonna be dead soon & it really doesn’t matter… you’re either gonna win or you’re not.” pic.twitter.com/DHNFSeEeLB
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) October 21, 2024
Mazzulla is very deliberate with his words. We all know what double down means. It’s the closest thing to saying you want to repeat without actually saying you want to repeat. The Celtics understand the opportunity is there for the taking, and if Tuesday is any indication, they don’t plan to squander it.
Sure, it was a small sample size, but they looked even more united and dangerous than they did last year. Jayson Tatum’s 3’s barely touched the net. Jaylen Brown’s passing out of the double was impressive. Jrue Holiday and Derrick White were even more aggressive and in sync. Al Horford, Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, Luke Kornet and Xavier Tillman Sr. continue to excel in their roles. Oh, and they have Kristaps Porzingis coming back in a few months.
This core just works. It’s that simple. The Celtics have an identity, a purpose and a deep trust in one another because they’ve done it before. Some teams would crumble facing every opponent’s best. This team will grow even stronger because of it.
They won 64 games a season ago, and it’s very possible that number could increase this year. It will be hard to top 16-3 in the playoffs, but if any group can do it, it’s this one.
Enjoy this basketball bliss, because it doesn’t happen very often.
