Where Do The 2024 Boston Celtics Rank Among the Last 10 NBA Champions?

The Boston Celtics had a historically great season in 2023-24 that saw them fittingly end the NBA season as NBA Champions.

With a new champion in place, let's see how these Celtics stack up compared to past NBA Champs we have had over the last decade.

10. Golden State Warriors 2022

Record: 53-29 (3rd in Western Conference)

Playoff Results:

Round 1- Def 6. Nuggets 4-1

Round 2- Def 2. Grizzlies 4-2

Round 3- Def 4. Mavericks 4-1

NBA Finals- Def 2. Celtics 4-2

Of all the Warriors' four championships in the Currt-Klay-Green-Kerr era, this was the most unexpected going into that season's playoffs. This was the Warriors' first appearance back in the playoffs since the team's finals loss in 2019.

With their big three reunited to go along with a mix of younger faces, the Warriors' return to the playoffs ended with Stephen Curry's greatest playoff run yet which ended with him hoisting his first Finals MVP of his career to go with his fourth ring.

9. Milwaukee Bucks 2021

Record: 46-26 (3rd in Eastern Conference)

Playoff Results:

Round 1- Def 6. Heat 4-0

Round 2- Def 2. Nets 4-3

Round 3- Def 5. Hawks 4-2

NBA Finals- Def 2. Suns 4-2

Quietly, this was one of the more impressive runs to a championship I can recall throughout

this century.

Milwaukee overcame two 0-2 series deficits in that post-season, including in the NBA Finals. In addition to crawling out of those holes, the Bucks also had to finish off the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Finals without their two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who suffered what looked like a catastrophic knee injury in game four of that series.

Ultimately, Giannis returned for the NBA Finals and going home down 0-2, the Bucks rattled off 4 straight wins that were capped off by possibly the greatest title-clinching performance by an individual in NBA history when Antetokounmpo dropped a 50-piece to capture the Bucks first title since 1974.

8. Denver Nuggets 2023

Record: 53-29 (1st in Western Conference)

Playoff Results:

Round 1- Def 8. Timberwolves 4-1

Round 2- Def 4. Suns 4-2

Round 3- Def 7. Lakers 4-0

NBA Finals- Def 8. Heat 4-1

This dominant playoff run being ranked at eight shows how many great champions we have over the last decade.

After years of coming up short in the post-season or being undermanned due to injuries, Nikola Jokic in the 2023 playoffs validated his MVP seasons the two previous by showing he is the best player in basketball on the way to winning his first title in a commanding way.

the Nuggets went on to have a record of 16-4 throughout their title run, including a sweep of arguably the greatest player of all time in LeBron James & the Lakers in the Conference Finals.

7. Golden State Warriors 2015

Record: 67-15 (1st in Western Conference)

Playoff Results:

Round 1- Def 8. Pelicans 4-0

Round 2- Def 5. Grizzlies 4-2

Round 3- Def 2. Rockets 4-1

NBA Finals- Def 2. Cavaliers 4-2

The Warriors' first championship of that era will always be filled with "What Ifs?" by NBA fans because of how much injury luck went in their favour throughout that post-season, including not having the Cavaliers fully healthy in the Finals. Even with that, the reality remains this team was dominant in the regular season with their deep bench, Klay Thompson & Draymond Green improving drastically under new coach Steve Kerr, as well as lastly, Stephen Curry going from a nice All-Star player, to a perennial MVP candidate and on his journey to becoming of the greatest players of all time.

As we now know, this first title was just the beginning.

6. Los Angeles Lakers 2020

Record: 52-19 (1st In Western Conference)

Playoff Results:

Round 1- Def 8. Trailblazers 4-1

Round 2- Def 4. Rockets 4-1

Round 3- Def 3. Nuggets 4-1

NBA Finals Def 5. Heat 4-2

Easily the most controversial of the last 10 teams to win a championship due to the circumstances those playoffs were played within, but it shouldn't take away from that accomplishment.

Before the bubble playoffs were even needed, the Lakers were playing like they were the best team in basketball.

In the bubble, the Lakers made quick work of all their opponents in the West bracket behind their new duo of LeBron James & Anthony Davis. With the role players doing their jobs tremendously & consistently, it makes me confident that even if we had gotten a typical NBA post-season in 2020, the Lakers still would have reigned supreme that season.

5. Toronto Raptors 2019

Record: 58-24 (2nd in Eastern Conference)

Playoff Results:

Round 1- Def 7. Magic 4-1

Round 2- Def 3. 76ers 4-3

Round 3- Def 1. Bucks 4-2

NBA Finals- Def 1. Warriors 4-2

The most underrated champion of the last ten seasons.

Kawhi Leonard in his one season in Toronto helped set the tone for what we were about to see what was going to be the new formula to win a championship out of the "Superteam Era".

If you can have 1-2 superstars who can be surrounded by elite or high-end role players who know how to do their jobs, you can win a championship in today's NBA.

Leonard was paired with an All-Star that season in Kyle Lowry, as well as a future All-Star who was developing into one at the time in Pascal Siakam. To go with their three best players, Toronto was also loaded with depth to fill in with the starters or off their bench with the likes of Fred VanVleet, Norman Powell, Serge Ibaka, and Marc Gasol, to name a few of the key contributors from that championship squad.

4. Boston Celtics 2024

Record: 64-18 (1st In Eastern Conference)

Playoff Results:

Round 1- Def 8. Heat 4-1

Round 2- Def 4. Cavaliers 4-1

Round 3- Def 6. Pacers 4-0

NBA Finals- Def 5. Mavericks 4-1

Our newest champion was one of the best teams in recent NBA history and they validated that with a championship this season.

The Celtics' top 6 was too much for any other team to match and it showed with a season where they were the best in the league from wire-to-wire finishing with an absurd record of 80-21.

After years of being so close to a title, Banner 18 will be raised in Boston after a historic 2024 season.

3. Cleveland Cavaliers 2016

Record: 57-25 (1st In Eastern Conference)

Round 1- Def 8. Pistons 4-0

Round 2- Def 4. Hawks 4-0

Round 3- Def 2. Raptors 4-2

NBA Finals- Def 1. Warriors 4-3

The team with that pulled off the greatest comeback in NBA history after trailing 3-1 in the championship series, the Cavs stormed back to win the franchise's first title by becoming the first to overcome said deficit in the NBA Finals. With LeBron James at the peak of his prime being paired with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, this Cavs team was loaded and their mental toughness is what showed they had the heart of a champion.

2. Golden State Warriors 2018

Record: 58-24 (2nd In Western Conference)

Playoff Results:

Round 1- Def 7. Spurs 4-1

Round 2- Def 6. Pelicans 4-1

Round 3- Def 1. Rockets 4-3

NBA Finals- Def 4. Cavaliers 4-0

Not as dominant as they were the year before but the Warriors at this time still ran the NBA as they were simply able to out-talent everyone. Despite a scare from the Rockets in the Conference Finals, the Warriors put a stamp on their in 2018 with a third title in four years with a sweep of the Cavs in the NBA Finals.

1. Golden State Warriors 2017

Record: 67-15

Playoff Results:

Round 1- Def 8. Trailblazers 4-0

Round 2- Def 5. Jazz 4-0

Round 3- Def 2. Spurs

NBA Finals- Def 2. Cavaliers 4-1

The greatest basketball team I have ever seen.

Imagine 67-15 being a worse record than you had the year before, just saying that out loud is crazy. After going 73-9 and blowing their shot at going back-to-back with a collapse in the 2016 Finals, Golden State went out in Free Agency to sign former MVP Kevin Durant to pair with their big three of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, god damn was it scary.

With Durant, the Warriors ran roughshod through the NBA that season finishing with the best record in the league yet again, while almost sweeping the entire post-season, ending with a record of 16-1 on their way to another title.

Pure dominance.