The Boston Celtics have defeated the Dallas Mavericks four games to one and won their first NBA championship since 2008.
Former WVU point guard Joe Mazzulla (35) became the youngest head coach to win an NBA title since Bill Russell in 1969. In just his second year as a head coach, Mazzulla has taken the Celtics to an Eastern Conference Finals and now an NBA Championship.
After getting blown out in game three and failing to complete the sweep, Mazzulla’s squad flipped the script and created a dominant performance of their own, finishing with a final score of 106-88.
Boston was led by their star Jayson Tatum, who finished with 31 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists. Mazzulla had four starters score double digit points including Tatum’s sidekick Jaylen Brown, who finished with 21 points.
The 2024 Bill Russell Finals MVP was awarded to Brown. The guard averaged 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists all on 44-percent shooting from the field.
It was only fitting that Mazzulla was able to get the job done and win a title. It capped off the best season any team had this year by far. With a league best 64-18 record, the Celtics would go on to only lose a total of three playoff games in their four total series.
The title marks the Celtics’ 18th title and the team’s first in 15 years. It will also break a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for most franchise championships.
Mazzulla was the first former WVU basketball player to participate in the NBA Finals since Javon Carter lost as a member of the Suns back in 2021. It is only the third NBA title for a former WVU player as an NBA player or coach, the others being the late great Jerry West and Jerome Anderson.
After a long summer of criticism and fans saying Mazzulla cannot coach nor lead a team to the championship, it was an immediate response and disproval of the haters.
Joe Mazzulla, a former Mountaineer, is an NBA champion.
