Despite historical NBA feat, Boston Celtics accused of not playing ‘championship basketball’
Despite their record-setting NBA title win, Gilbert Arenas has now called out the Boston Celtics for not playing 'championship basketball'.
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Boston Celtics players Jayson Tatum and Derrick White (Images via Forbes/USAToday)
The Boston Celtics are one of the most successful franchises in sports history. Not many basketball fans can argue that the Celtics aren’t an attractive team for up-and-coming stars. Boasting the likes of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and others on their roster, they ended last season with a record-setting 18th championship win!
Indeed, achieving that feat catapulted the Celtics into the higher echelons of NBA history as they became the first team ever to do so. However, not everyone thinks Jayson Tatum and his teammates played ‘championship ball’ en route to winning their recent title. This was the view of former NBA star Gilbert Arenas when he appeared on The OGs Show recently.
As stated by Arenas, the Celtics won the recent title because they were the best team by every metric. Furthermore, he claims they outsized their opponents with better players which was a huge differentiator for them and led to success. As for the style of basketball the Celtics played, Gilbert Arenas wasn’t impressed and says the team failed to play in a way befitting of an NBA championship.
They were the better team hands down. Did they play championship basketball? No. They had an advantage... they were bigger than Dallas [Mavericks]. Dallas didn't play the defense that could have stopped them. And they spent 90% of the time just chucking threes, horrible threes too.Gilbert Arenas said
Nonetheless, with the title already in the collections of the Boston franchise, they will be looking to start the upcoming NBA season on the back of recent success. This is especially true for Celtics star Tatum, who signed a mouthwatering $315M contract extension with the team after their win.
NBA teams all chasing Boston Celtics players after title win
After the Celtics lifted the NBA championship last season, demand has soared for a number of their players. With rivals in the league looking to beef up their roster, all eyes have been turned to the current champions.
In a recent episode of The Roommates Show, basketball stars Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson revealed that teams in the league are all trying to snap up players from the Celtics.
We could have like, went and signed…you know, [Luka] Jokic, [LeBron] James, KD, like we're still chasing Boston. They're the champs.Josh Hart said
According to them, this is despite the plethora of other good and experienced NBA players who are available for trades. Nevertheless, there is an attraction towards champions and the Celtics happens to be in that enviable position now.
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Peter Okereke
(98 Articles Published)