Playing in Boston comes with a unique kind of pressure. The city's four major sports franchises have won a combined 38 championships, including 12 since the turn of the century. In Boston, winning isn't just celebrated; it's expected.
The Celtics, in particular, are no strangers to this pressure. With 17 championships, they lead all Boston sports teams and share the record with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most in NBA history. This places them well ahead of the next closest team, the Golden State Warriors, with seven titles.
Their rich history is undeniable. They are the most prestigious franchise in the NBA, with a record 41 members who either played or coached for the team inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. They've also retired 24 numbers, the most by any professional sports team in North America.
This weight of history cascades down from the 17 banners hanging high above the parquet and is felt by the current squad.
"I mean, you know the answer to that. Of course, right? We only hang NBA championship banners, right? Seventeen of them," Jayson Tatum said when asked about the different pressure on this franchise with all the banners and legends.
"Some of the greatest players to ever play this game wore this uniform. All of us are honored to follow in their footsteps, the way they paved for us to live out our dreams. Essentially, if you want to be one of the greats to put on this uniform, every great before you won a championship. That's what we try to play for every single season. The expectations are, obviously, different here. It takes special players to be here and to be a part of an environment like that."
This current core has been knocking on the door of glory: six Eastern Conference Finals trips in eight years and now a second trip to the NBA Finals. However, to be remembered in this city, just reaching the Finals is not good enough—you have to finish the job.
"I think this is a special group. I really do. The core group of it has been here for a few years now. We've been able to go through the experiences of having success but not having success at the same time," Jaylen Brown said.
"I think to solidify the ultimate goal is to get over the hump and win. I think that will add a lot to our legacy. But as of right now, that story is kind of still untold."
In the 2023-24 season, the Celtics find themselves poised for their greatest opportunity yet. Their mantra, "Different Here," has transcended mere words, manifesting as a palpable reality throughout their journey. Consistently demonstrating growth through hard-learned lessons from the past and breaking records along the way, they've proven unequivocally that things are indeed "Different Here.
"The talent," Jrue Holiday said simply when asked what makes things different with this team. "I know sometimes talent doesn't always mesh together. This does. You saw it during the regular season. You've seen it throughout the playoffs, how any given night, everybody is just unselfish. I feel like we sacrifice for each other. That's kind of what makes it go."
"Then I think it's just the will to win. I think this team really wants to win. I know they've been to the Eastern Conference Finals a million times. They've been to the Finals. They've been to the top; they just didn't execute the way they wanted to. Now that we're here, we want to get the job done."
The harsh truth is that if the Celtics fall short, their season won't be remembered as historic but as a missed opportunity. It'll leave fans questioning what went wrong, resurfacing the age-old question of "What needs to change?"
Yet, this team is capable of—and, frankly—deserves more. They have what it takes to win. All they need to do is stay true to the formula that brought them this far.
"Unless they change the light bulbs in the arenas, they won't be any brighter than they were in the last series. It's just sticking to the details, the things that matter, the truth," Joe Mazzulla said.
"The truth of the matter is if you don't box out, if you don't sprint back in transition, if you don't pass the ball in a two-on-one, if you don't take away the other team's tendencies, if you don't know who you're guarding, don't recognize the spacing, if you don't talk, if you don't play hard, you're not going to win. Focusing on the most simple things and the truth, the truth of the matter is you have to do those things. You have to do them at a high level. Obviously, the stakes are higher. That just means that the details are more important."
Now is their moment. With seasoned veterans and a hunger for victory, the Celtics are poised to etch their names in history. It's time to seize the opportunity and cement their legacy.
"We've learned a lot from that Finals a couple of years ago. Obviously, adding KP and Jrue, all the experience they have," Derrick White said. "I think it's going to be different. Everybody is looking forward to it and embracing the challenge. This is the NBA Finals. It's what you dream about. It's going to be a challenge."
Go out and prove why things are "Different Here" by raising Banner 18.
