see interesting facts surrounding the 2024 NBA Finals

This Thursday, 6th, at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), Boston Celtics It is Dallas Mavericks enter the court for Game 1 of the NBA 2024. The series, which will be decided in a best of seven, features teams with different records in the season and even in the history of the North American basketball league.

First place in Eastern Conference and overall, with 64 wins and just 18 losses, the Boston Celtics want to regain their champion status and recover their isolated record of titles. The Massachusetts franchise has already taken the Larry O’Brien 17 other times, tied with the biggest rival, Los Angeles Lakers. On the other side, the Dallas Mavericks are playing in only their third league final, seeking their second trophy. In 2023/24, the Texans were only in fifth place in the Western Conferencewith 50 wins and 32 losses.

In this way, Dallas attempts a rare feat in the NBA. Since the playoffs began with 16 teams, 40 years ago, only one team has managed to become champion after reaching the postseason outside the top three positions in the conferences: the 1994/95 Houston Rockets, sixth placed in the West that season.

But the differences between the teams do not guarantee that the Celtics will have an easy time. The good phase experienced by Luka Doncic It is Kyrie Irvinga Texan duo that combined for 72 points in the final victory over Minnesota Timberwolves in the West finals, it could be an obstacle on the Celtic path to the title. Regardless of who becomes champion, the finals of the current season will be marked in history. The Slovenian and the veteran point guard have been together in the NBA’s ideal quintet for the last three seasons, but they still haven’t managed to become champions. The same goes for Jaylen BrownEastern MVP, and Jayson Tatumwho have been together for a long time, but still haven’t achieved the trophy they dreamed of.

The famous ‘ex law’ may also appear in the decision. Irving, the only franchise doubles champion, who is fighting for two, is a former Boston player and has a controversial relationship with Boston fans. TD Garden.

For both sides, a title would have an even more special taste. Even though they are among the league’s greatest champions and are competing in the playoffs for the 10th consecutive year, the Celtics have not won the NBA since 2007/08. The fast even got worse after the team hit the woodwork recently, with four conference finals and a tough defeat to Golden State Warriors in 2022.

Dallas faces its first final without the German idol Dirk Nowitzkiwho contested two decisions: a defeat for Miami Heat in 2005/2006 and a victory over the same rival in 2010/2011. The second championship could make another European enter the history of the Texan franchise. Doncic has the second-highest points average in NBA playoff history at 31.1 per game. At 25 years old, he is only behind Michael Jordan, with 33.4. The statistic takes into account athletes with at least 40 games and/or a thousand points in the postseason.

Another interesting fact is that the current coach of the Mavericks, the former player Jason Kidd, was present in the franchise’s only title, in 2011, when he was still playing on the court. By Boston, Joe Mazzulla will turn 36 on June 30th and is the youngest coach to reach the finals since Bill Russellin 1968/69.

The 2023/24 finals duel guarantees that the NBA will have a sixth different champion in the last six seasons. The sequence only happened once in history, between the 1974/1975 and 1979/1980 campaigns. The last five winners were Toronto RaptorsLos Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee BucksGolden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets, since 2019. During this period, only the San Francisco team and the Florida franchise had reached the finals more than once. Now, Boston joins the group.