Prof. Gilligan
Journalism 2.0 Weekly Blogging Assignment
TOPIC: Sports
The Boston Celtics
Franchise History:
The Boston Celtics were founded by Walter Brown in 1946 and housed in the TD Garden from 1995 to the present day. The Boston Celtics quickly grew to become a dynasty and are currently tied in the number of Championships earned with the Los Angeles Lakers. However, the Celtics currently hold the record for the most recorded wins of any National Basketball Association (NBA) team. After the team, led by coach Red Auerbach, acquired center Bill Russell, who would become the cornerstone of the Celtics dynasty, in a draft-day trade in 1956. Led by Russell, point guard Bob Cousy, and 1956-7 Rookie of the Year Tom Heinsohn, the Celtics won their first NBA championship in 1957. After this, there was some trouble which included not having enough resources which ultimately led the team franchise to go bankrupt. However, the Celtics franchise soon began to realize that success comes through their star players and united front which originated with Bill Russell, Larry Bird, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and to the present day Jason Tatum.
Who Are The Celtics Today?
As of today, April 15, 2024, the Celtics are the best team in the NBA and are starting the playoffs as the #1 seed set to win the Championship. After some unnecessary losses, the Celtics have gone as far as gaining a 64-18 winning streak with the Knicks following far behind with a 50-32 winning streak. However, like I said, the winning and the franchise are not who the Celtics are. The heart comes from the players to make these wins happen. Yet, the players are the result of Joe Mazulla and his craft as a head coach to lead the Celtics to a possible championship this year. However, Mazulla has not always been the head-strong coach we know now. Mazulla is the 19th coach of the Celtics franchise and followed Ime Udoka as an assistant coach but had to step up to the plate once Udoka violated the team’s policies in 2022 making Mazulla the coach for the 2022-2023 season. Although the 2023 playoffs did not end in the Celtics’ favor Mazulla stepped up to the plate and swore to do better in the 2024 season. To much fan surprise he lived up to his word and according to the Celtics Blog, “ The Celtics finished with the fourth-best record in team history by diversifying their offense, aligning along a team-first mentality, prioritizing defense again and successfully building a bench.” (Manning, Bobby.). In turn, he has done just that. The Celtics bench has become legendary and players such as Payton Pritchard and Luke Kornet have had a season of their own and both growing individually. Yet, to give credit where credit is due I offer a hot-take, Jason Tatum is not overrated and he is a legend on this team. Although, it can be said he is not as good as the Lakers LeBron James, he has certainly made a name for himself, ranking 6th in the NBA currently. Not to mention he is an all-star NBA team along with his teammate Jalen Brown. When it comes to Jalen Brown his 3-point shooting on the team is unmatched but Al Horford follows close behind. It is clear to see that there are multiple multiple-faceted players on this team and once the Celtics gain a winning streak these boys make sure that their name is known in the NBA league.
What Is Yet To Come:
With the playoffs starting in 4 days and the championships taking place on June 6, 2024, the Celtics are preparing to take home that championship title. However, this regular season has proved that although the team is the best right now there are some downsides to this team. From watching the games this season it is clear that the Celtics get in their head during games when losing either that or the Celtics will gain a lead and then throw it away after getting lazy. This happened in a game during the regular season this year against the Atlanta Hawks losing 120-118 after being up 30 points before the second quarter. This sparked an uproar among the Celtics fans and as for myself, I was very disappointed in my team. With that being said, I do believe that we could win the 2024 championship however, we must realize our potential and utilize it no matter who we are facing. Not to mention understanding that we can face the mental blocks that form during the hard games.
Citations:
“Boston Celtics.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 10 Apr. 2024,
http://www.britannica.com/topic/Boston-Celtics.
“Boston Celtics Scores, Stats and Highlights.” ESPN, ESPN Internet Ventures,
http://www.espn.com/nba/team/_/name/bos/boston-celtics. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Manning, Bobby. “Celtics Accomplished What Joe Mazzulla Hoped to in the Regular Season.” CelticsBlog, 16 Apr. 2024, http://www.celticsblog.com/2024/4/16/24130658/celtics-accomplished-what-joe-mazzulla-hoped-to-in-the-regular-season-boston-playoffs.
Journalism 2.0 