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Can the Celtics reverse that trend? If they do, they will join a special group of teams that have repeated as champions. There have been 13 instances in league history where a team won consecutive titles. It’s a remarkable achievement to win one title, but doing it in back-to-back years is a unique challenge, and it’s one that many phenomenal teams failed to overcome.
The San Antonio Spurs of Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili won five titles from 1999 through 2014, but they never repeated. These Spurs teams will forever be viewed as iconic, but there’s no question their legacy would be enhanced even more had they won back-to-back rings at some point.
The Celtics of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish in the 1980s went to the Finals five times and won three titles but never repeated, despite winning the Eastern Conference four consecutive seasons from 1983-84 through 1986-87. These Celtics teams were amazing, but the Los Angeles Lakers were the team of the 1980s after winning five championships, including back-to-back titles in 1986-87 and 1987-88.
The 2024-25 Celtics have an opportunity to go down as an all-time group if they repeat as champions, especially since they brought back nearly their entire roster from the first title.
And with the new CBA making it increasingly harder for high-spending teams to keep championship-caliber rosters intact long term, the days of repeat champions could be gone for a while. But the Celtics, based on the extraordinary depth and high-end talent on their roster, are better positioned to repeat than any of the previous five champs that all failed.
Which teams have repeated in recent NBA history, and how did achieving that impressive feat impact their legacies? Well, whenever anyone discusses the best teams of all time, most of the squads below are among the first mentioned.
2016-17 and 2017-18 Golden State Warriors
The Warriors officially became a dynasty when they won their second straight title and third in four years with a sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2018. Those two teams met four consecutive years in the Finals, with the Warriors winning…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/repeat-impact-celtics-legacy-heres-165440863.html
Author : NBC Sports Boston
Publish date : 2024-10-21 19:26:00
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