Jayson Tatum had already shown he could win before last season.
In his first six years, no other NBA player won more games with a single team than Tatum did. He was part of 334 wins with the Boston Celtics during that time, including playoffs. He made five All-Star teams, was a real MVP contender, earned All-NBA honors four times, and even won an Olympic gold medal.
However, he hadn’t yet become a champion. “I had to listen to all the (stuff) that people said about me,” Tatum shared.
But that’s behind him now. The Celtics have won a championship, led by coach Joe Mazzulla. As the new season begins on Tuesday night in Boston, where last season concluded, Tatum isn’t viewing it as a title defense. Instead, he sees it as a quest for a 19th championship. According to BetMGM Sportsbook, the Celtics are favored to win the 2025 title.
“It was never just about trying to just win one,” Tatum explained. He also added a second Olympic gold medal to his achievements this summer. “Now you get to be mentioned with — at least be in the same room with — the other Celtics great teams and players.
All the guys I looked up to growing up at least won one championship. Now it’s about: ‘How great are you trying to be? What room or what tier are you trying to be mentioned in when it’s all said and done?’”
That journey begins with ring night in Boston, where the Celtics will face New York in the first game of a doubleheader that officially kicks off the league’s 79th season.
The second game features Minnesota against the Los Angeles Lakers, where LeBron James will match Vince Carter by playing in his 22nd NBA season. This game could also mark the first time a father and son are teammates, as Bronny James starts his rookie season.
Boston will have many challengers trying to stop them from repeating as champions. New York has added Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns, while Philadelphia has brought in Paul George to try to take Boston’s spot at the top of the Eastern Conference.
There are also up-and-coming teams in the East, like the Orlando Magic led by Paolo Banchero and the Cleveland Cavaliers with Donovan Mitchell, both of which made it to the second round of the playoffs last season.
“We’ve just got to keep our foot on the gas,” Mitchell said. “We’ve got to keep going.”
The Western Conference has several contenders as well. BetMGM lists Oklahoma City, last season’s No. 1 seed in the West and led by MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, as the slight favorite to win the conference.
The defending champion Denver Nuggets, last year’s Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks, and a Minnesota team that reached the West finals last season are also in the mix.
“You have to be careful with expectations put on outcomes,” said Thunder forward Chet Holmgren. “Around here we really emphasize putting expectations on processes, how we show up every day, how we go about our work, what we do, and the attention to detail that we do it to. That’s what we’re really focused on.”
Stephen Curry from the Golden State Warriors helped the U.S. win an Olympic gold medal this summer, proving that the Warriors should never be underestimated. With LeBron James on the team, the Lakers are also a strong contender.
“We’re the hunters, amongst many other teams,” Curry said. “What can this team do to maximize every skill set that we have in that locker room? That’s the challenge for us.”
The Western Conference is very competitive. However, the Celtics are back almost exactly the same as last year and know what it takes to win it all.
“Boston can say whatever they want to say. They’ve earned it. They beat all of us and they were crowned,” said Miami coach Erik Spoelstra. “So, they can feel however they want to feel going into this season. With that said, they still have to earn it. But it’s a new season, new year. There’ll be a bunch of teams that are gunning for that title.”
