The Boston Celtics won their 18th championship in franchise history (88-106), capping the NBA Finals between the Dallas Mavericks and the Boston team. For Celtics supporters, it was a historic occasion as their team’s 16-year championship drought came to an end with a gentleman’s sweep. Shaquille O’Neal was among the many famous people in attendance during Games 1 and 2 of the Finals. But even though he was present, he made an audacious assertion about this two teams’ showdown.
The Celtics-Mavericks series, according to Shaq, may have been the least exciting championship series in NBA history. During the most recent episode of The Big Podcast featuring Shaq, The Big Aristotle shared his thoughts.
“It was boring. It was the most boring finals in finals history…The reason why I stated the Finals were boring cause when I was a kid, there was always a story.”
Shaquille O’Neal talks about past NBA finals
The Hall of Famer also made several analogies to the NBA Finals he watched as a child, pointing out that each game featured a pivotal moment or moments that defined the series. Back then, there was always something that led to the development of a captivating plot surrounding the finals, elevating the fan experience. He said,
“They body slammed Kurt Rambis in Game 2. Magic—sky hook. He throws the ball, Kareem was wide open but Magic shoots the hook, it still goes in. Larry Bird, fading away, has nobody to pass to, shoots. Like, it was always a story. It was always some drama.”
Shaq reflected on some of the most memorable finals events he had the pleasure of witnessing as a child. The turmoil surrounding both teams as they got closer to the Finals is what made those moments so famous in the end.
One may debate the narrative of Kyrie Irving playing his old team, the Celtics, in the championship game.