Twenty-eight teams will be jealous when the ball tips off on June 2 between the Warriors and Celtics. Eleven franchises have never won an NBA championship, and six of them have never played in a Finals matchup. Hall of Famers like Charles Barley, Karl Malone, John Stockton, and Gary Payton have accomplished a lot in the sport but critics always point to their lack of championship rings. Therefore, the NBA finals is the biggest stage in basketball where legacies and legends are created or cemented. In this article, we will discuss what is at stake for the stars and franchises in the 2022 NBA finals.
1. The Warriors’ championship cements their dynasty-the trio of Steph, Klay and Draymond won three titles in four years. After defeating the Mavericks and making the finals it will be their sixth appearance in eight years. The Chicago Bulls of the 1990s led by His Airness Michael Jordan are the only other team to accomplish the feat. Many fans criticize whether the team is a dynasty because two of the championships were won with Kevin Durant at the helm. Another championship in this year’s finals will further validation of the dynasty. It could potentially mean more chips in the future with young players like Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga, and James Wiseman in the fold. A win in the finals would mean the Warriors would climb to 7 titles and third as a franchise all-time. It would separate the franchisees from the Bulls and Sixers who have six titles.
2. Another championship and Finals MVP makes Steph Top 10 All-Time-Steph Curry is a 3-time champion, 2-time MVP, 8-time All-Star, and All-NBA team member. In 2022, Steph also cemented his legacy as the greatest shooter of All-Time in Ray Allen for the most three-pointers made in NBA history. However, the critics point out that he has never won the NBA Finals MVP in the three championships they have won. I think it is an unfair criticism but if he propels his team to a win, it settles the debate once and for all. In the process, he will tie Lebron and Shaq with four championships, and it puts him in the conversation for being a top 10 player of all time.
3. Celtics can retake the lead in championship wins: when Lebron and Anthony Davis captured the title for the Lakers in the 2020 Walt Disney Orlando bubble. It was a pivotal win for the Lakers because it pushed them to title 17 and a tie with the Celtics. The Lakers had a disastrous 2021-2022 season, and they did not make the playoffs. However, the Celtics turned around their season by leading the league in most defensive metrics and made a historic run in the second half of the season to be in a position to win banner 18. If the Celtics win, they will inch to the top of the heap once again as the leading franchise of all time.
4. Jayson Tatum winning a title makes him a top 5 superstar and could kickstart a dynastic run-Jayson Tatum was a highly ranked player coming out of college. However, in the 2017 draft, the Sixers drafted Markelle Fultz at number 1, and the Lakers picked Lonzo Ball at number 2. The Celtics won the draft by picking Tatum with the number 3 pick. Five years later, Tatum has elevated himself to becoming one of the best two-way players in the league. Jayson is a 3-time All-Star and was named to the 1st All-NBA team this year. In this playoff run, he has outplayed Kevin Durant, matched Giannis in the second round, and was the most consistent player in the Conference Finals to win the Larry Bird Trophy as MVP. If Tatum wins his first championship, it cements his stature among the superstars in the league. The Celtics’ core is young because Marcus Smart is 28, Jaylen Brown is 25, Tatum and Robert Williams are 24 years old. Yes, there is a potential for a dynastic run for the Celtics because they are just getting started under rookie coach Ime Udoka.
5. Al Horford’s potentially last chance at a ring-Horford is one of the constant professionals in the NBA. Horford played nine seasons in Atlanta and played on some good teams that could not get past Lebron James in the Eastern Conference. He later spent three seasons with the Celtics and still could not get past Lebron in the NBA Finals in 2018 with a young team. He took the best deal available by signing with the Sixers in 2019. However, things did not work out in Philadelphia, and he was traded to the Thunder. This past summer Brad Stevens pulled the trigger by bringing back AL to Beantown. Horford has been one of the Celtics players this season and had the infamous game where he scored a playoff-high of 30 points against the Bucks in Game 4. By beating the Miami Heat, Horford ended a streak of 141 playoff games without a Finals appearance which was a record. At age 35, it might be AL Horford’s best chance to win a title. According to NBA reference, he is ranked 29th as an active player to make the Hall of Fame. An NBA title would add to his credentials along with his back-to-back NCAA titles.