Sixteen years ago exactly. Now as then, it happened on June 17th. In 2008, the Boston Celtics of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo won the 17th title in the history of the Boston Celtics by defeating Kobe Bryant’s Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals; in 2024, the Celtics of Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum , Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis won title number 18 by defeating Luka Doncic’s Dallas Mavs in the Finals. It’s tantalizing to compare the two teams and their respective exploits.
truth and super team
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The Celtics’ 2008 version was extraordinary. We are talking about an era of squadrons, without the regulatory and salary constraints of today. Philosophically, the NBA then hoped for super teams: they raised the quality of basketball, they were polarizing, followed, loved or hated, always on TV, with the aim of dynasty and poisonous and recurring rivalries. It is no coincidence that Boston and Los Angeles met again in the Finals two years later, this time with the Californians able to prevail in 7 games. The Big 3 of that Boston ended up in the Hall of Fame, the NBA pantheon of timeless champions. Giants in the game of giants. Paul Pierce, the flag and captain of those Celtics, the Truth, nickname given to him by Shaq O’Neal, received as gifts from the transfer market one of the strongest big men ever, Garnett, and one of the most relentless shooters in history, due to his technique shooting and heavy baskets, Allen. And orchestrating these phenomena was Rondo at his best then, a physically ferocious playmaker on both ends of the court, physique like a sharp knife, and with celestial passing visions. The role players in green were superb: James Posey, defense and triples, 12 of 24 in those Finals from distance, big men like the veteran PJ Brown and the giant Kendrick Perkins, who is now a television commentator. Then Sam Cassell, the guard with the long tongue and easy basket, and the energy dynamo Eddie House. Tony Allen, who later became a fabulous perimeter defender, and Big Baby Davis, long overweight but with a magical hand, only played in the Finals. In short, those Celtics were very strong both as a top 5 and as a top 15. And they defeated a quality version of the Lakers 4-2 in the Finals: Kobe, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Derek Fisher… Not easy.
the right jays and joints
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Brown and Tatum are 27 and 26 years old, they already have sensational numbers in the playoffs, but they are not yet comparable in absolute value to those phenomena of their predecessors. For physical and mental toughness, readings of the game under pressure. But they are young, they have room for growth. And winning helps you win. It gives security, it excites, you want to do it again immediately. The other Celtics are excellent, especially considering how the NBA philosophy has changed in the meantime. Six different winners in the last six years. Silver is Commissioner who prefers balance: he would make everyone win once and for all, if he could. Realpolitik. Luxury taxes and gates of the salary cap system force the strongest teams to reduce the quality of the benches, to become vulnerable. These Celtics are short, but superb as a top 6 player mix. Jrue Holiday has never been a franchise man or even the second best player on an ambitious team. But as third he won the ring with Milwaukee and Boston, also excellent in New Orleans. He played exceptional Finals on both sides of the court. Al Horford at 38 is a center at the end of his career, but also a 5-time All Star with 5-star basketball intelligence and the heart of champions. Kristaps Porzingis breaks down looking at him, he has the fragility of a crystal, but when he is well he is a scoring machine in attack and an intimidator under his scoreboard. And Derrick White is an old-fashioned cur with the offensive option of triples who scores under pressure and without conscience. It is clear that the various Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser and Xavier Tillman, who completed Coach Mazzulla’s rotation at the Finals, are not who knows who. But it’s a different NBA era, which also applies to the benches of the Celtics’ rivals. Who beat a champion like Luka Doncic. Tomorrow this success against him will acquire even more value, the Slovenian is destined to win a lot. But his Mavs today don’t tie the shoes of the 2008 Lakers: supporting cast with obvious structural limitations. As coach the 2008 Celtics had Doc Rivers, who has not won rings since then, chasing him as a rival of Boston, now, for Milwaukee. Coach Mazzulla doesn’t have the Doc’s playing pedigree, but he started off strong: ring already in his second year as head coach.
the comparison
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The 2008 team would beat the 2024 team. Without a doubt. But it was built for everything and immediately, in fact it didn’t last long, another 4 years without ever winning again: Pierce and Garnett then ended up at the Nets, Allen at Miami. They were aging champions who wanted to collect together, then, transform years of prowess into silverware with which to adorn their hands. This version of Boston has obvious unknowns: Horford could retire, and if he doesn’t do so now, he will in 12 months when his contract expires. Porzingis has peculiar physical frailties, he always risks leaving them in the lurch at the most beautiful moment. But the Jays are young and growing. And Holiday and White are also good for tomorrow: used for sure. Mazzulla then just started to gain experience. In short, this green nucleus could remain competitive for longer than that of 2008. But it will hardly ever be able to reach its peaks.
