BOSTON (AP) 鈥� The Boston Celtics are giving themselves one more chance to celebrate their latest NBA championship before they turn their attention to a repeat.
The league鈥檚 most decorated franchise will raise its 18th banner to the TD Garden rafters Tuesday night before against the New York Knicks. Players will also receive their championship rings in the pregame ceremony.
鈥淭his is a great accomplishment, that we get to do this. Be one hell of a night,鈥� guard Payton Pritchard said after practice Monday. 鈥淏ut then again, we talked about we鈥檝e got to do it again. We鈥檝e got to reset that focus.
鈥淲e get the rings, and then we want to go out and prove that we鈥檙e ready to make another statement.鈥�
The Celtics cruised through the NBA regular season last year 鈥� finishing with the best record in the Eastern Conference by 14 games 鈥� and then went 16-3 in the playoffs. Led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, they are bringing back their entire starting lineup and most of their bench, and are the favorites to win it all again.
Coach Joe Mazzulla has said he doesn鈥檛 feel any pressure to repeat.
鈥淲e鈥檙e all going to be dead soon, and it really doesn鈥檛 matter anymore. So there鈥檚 zero pressure," he said. "You have an opportunity to carry the organization forward, to double down on the tradition and history of what this organization has. And what else would you expect than someone expecting you to win all the time?
"It鈥檚 not pressure,鈥� he told reporters at the team's practice facility. "There鈥檚 nothing anyone in this circle can do to me that鈥檚 gonna impact my identity and who I am as a person or a coach. We鈥檙e either gonna win or we鈥檙e not, and 40 years from now, none of you are invited to my funeral and that鈥檚 it.鈥�
The Celtics won 16 NBA titles from 1957-86, with Bill Russell claiming 11 in 13 years. The 1970s teams of Dave Cowens and John Havlicek won a pair, and the Big Three of Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale won three more in the 1980s.
When Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen won it all in 2008, they ended the franchise鈥檚 longest-ever title drought. They made it back to the NBA Finals two years later, but lost to the Lakers. (The period from 2008-24 was the second-longest drought.)
Pritchard said that to be considered among the Celtics greats they will need to win another.
鈥淎 lot of people can do it once," Pritchard said. 鈥淚 know a championship鈥檚 hard, but there鈥檚 a lot of people who have won one. But winning it multiple times, creating almost like a dynasty, that鈥檚 hard to do. So that鈥檚 greatness, and that鈥檚 something we鈥檙e trying to achieve.鈥�
The quest begins against the Knicks, who have positioned themselves as Boston鈥檚 after acquiring Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges over the summer.
Mazzulla said he thinks his team will be ready.
鈥淚 trust who they are. I think they have an understanding of both 鈥楾his is what we accomplished鈥� and 鈥楾his is what we鈥檙e trying to do鈥欌�� the coach said. 鈥淎ll the intangibles that go into winning should carry over from one season to another season."
鈥淵ou have to appreciate it," he said. "But you鈥檝e got to know what got you there and if you forget what got you there, you鈥檒l never get back.鈥�
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AP NBA:
Jimmy Golen, The Associated Press
