What Shaquille O’Neal Considers Key To Celtics Repeat In 2024-25
The Boston Celtics trotted their way through the postseason before defeating the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals, leaving the franchise with one goal before Opening Night of the upcoming 2024-25 campaign: repeating as champions.
It’s been 59 years since the last time the Celtics went back-to-back (in 1965-66), and with Eastern Conference rivals re-tooling this offseason, it won’t be easy. The New York Knicks acquired Mikal Bridges and retained OG Anunoby and Jalen Brunson while the Philadelphia 76ers paired 2023 MVP Joel Embiid with nine-time All-Star Paul George.
Basketball Hall of Famer-turned-analyst Shaquille O’Neal, in fact, believes there’s a key factor that’ll make or break Boston’s chances of repeating as champions in 2025.
“If they remain hungry, they can win (again),” O’Neal said Wednesday on SportsCenter. “… It’s called the championship blues. Guys win a championship, they come into training camp with the new cars and the sunglasses and the this and that. They kind of forgot what it takes to get there. So if they remain hungry, they’re definitely gonna be dangerous.”
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O’Neal added: “On paper, you could say, ‘Oh, we definitely have enough to run it back.’ But you got a lot of teams, especially in the East, that’s gonna be gunning for you because in their minds you won a championship too easy.”
The front office in Boston has already done its part, retaining Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White — albeit on a jaw-dropping $920 million in committed contract extensions. Everyone aside from Oshae Brissett and Svi Mykhailiuk has been re-signed as Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck’s promise to bring back as much of the roster as possible, has come to life.
While the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers — among others — each endured injuries when crossing paths with the Celtics, Boston, too, wasn’t fully healthy as Porzingis missed over a month after going down in the first round — an injury that required offseason surgery and five-to-six months of recovery time.
Boston spent the entire regular season and playoffs performing under the narrative magnifying glass, therefore, doubt shouldn’t come as new once the Celtics get started on their run for Banner 19.