The Boston Celtics are coming off of a dominant championship run in 2024 that saw them absolutely roll through the Eastern Conference in the playoffs before swiftly dispatching the Dallas Mavericks in five games in the NBA Finals.
The Celtics are having another great season in 2024-25, although they have been slightly overshadowed by the excellence of the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Even with the excellence of those two teams, the Celtics have still been a machine that has rolled through most opponents, but you wouldn’t know it by paying attention to the headlines around the league.
On Friday, ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins ranted before the blockbuster Celtics-Cavaliers matchup about why the Celtics don’t get as much respect as other champions do.
“They are the most disrespected champions in NBA history.”@KendrickPerkins defends the Celtics ahead of their matchup against Cleveland. pic.twitter.com/iYBNZBO6r3
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 1, 2025
“Why are the Celtics so disrespected?” Perkins questioned. “When it comes down to champions, they are the most disrespected champions in NBA history. all you hear about is how easy of a ride they had last year, how Jayson Tatum is not this, how he didn’t play in the Olympics. All this. But you know what? This is a great basketball team.”
The Celtics-Cavaliers matchup absolutely lived up to the hype, as the Celtics took a 25-3 lead in the opening minutes before the Cavs stormed back with a furious rally. In the end, Evan Mobley gave Cleveland the lead on a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter and some huge buckets by Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland lifted the Cavaliers to a huge 123-116 win.
Even after the loss, the Celtics still deserve respect as one of the best teams in the NBA and a team that is very live to go with the championship again this season. When they are healthy, they still have the best starting five in basketball and will be a massive headache for any team to face in the playoffs.
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