Celtics celebrate 18th NBA Title: will Boston repeat as champs? | First Things First
Nick Wright, Chris Broussard and Danny Parkins discuss the latest news in sports including the Boston Celtics NBA Finals celebration parade. The FTF crew also decides if the Celtics can repeat as champs.
Jayson Tatum’s summer just got a lot better after winning his first career NBA title.
The Boston Celtics have reportedly reached an agreement with Tatum on a five-year, $314 million supermax extension with a player option that makes it the largest contract in NBA history, according to multiple reports.
The 26-year-old star played a major role in the Celtics defeating the Dallas Mavericks in five games to claim the franchise’s first championship since 2008. During that series, Tatum averaged 22.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.2 assists, though Finals MVP went to his All-Star counterpart Jaylen Brown.
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Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics celebrates with the Larry O'Brien Trophy after the game against the Dallas Mavericks during Game 5 of the 2024 NBA Finals on June 17, 2024 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
Brown got his then-record extension last year from the Celtics, and since they’ve paired so well together in Beantown, it was only right for the franchise to give Tatum — one of the best wings in the NBA today — the extension he’s earned.
While this move was expected, the five-time All-Star and four-time All-NBA selection has been more than advertised since he was drafted third overall out of Duke by the Celtics back in 2017.
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For his career thus far, Tatum has averaged 23.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game with a 46% field goal rate over 513 games. He’s finished top six in MVP voting the past three seasons, and figures to be a perennial All-Star candidate as long as he stays healthy on the hardwood.
The Celtics didn’t just dish out a contract to Tatum either. They reportedly agreed to terms on a deal for Derrick White, the versatile guard who averaged 15.2 points while shooting a career-high 39.6% from three-point territory this past season to help Boston to victory.
Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics celebrates after making a shot in the third quarter against the Dallas Mavericks in Game Three of the 2024 NBA Finals at American Airlines Center on June 12, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
White started all 73 games last season and has truly benefitted from joining Tatum, Brown and the rest of the cast as someone dependable with the ball in his hands and in front of him as a defender.
Boston is clearly looking to run it back next season, but having Brown and now Tatum locked in for the future shows the rest of the league the Celtics should be playoff contenders for years to come.
The Celtics have reached the Eastern Conference Finals in four of the last five seasons, winning it twice and finally getting the Larry O’Brien Trophy this past campaign.
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, left, is defended by Brooklyn Nets guard Dennis Schroder (17) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Peter K. Afriyie)
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Tatum surely wants more than one banner to hang in TD Garden.
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