Whenever an NBA team wins a title, there's always discussion about how easy (or difficult) their playoff journey was.
Many have pointed out that the Boston Celtics have made a very easy run to the 2024 NBA Championship.
Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal recently spoke about the team's victory: OGs Showh/t NBA Central).
O'Neal: “Everybody knows Boston had the easiest run to the championship in history. Can they prove it? That's it. Can you prove it? OK, you had an easy run, but that doesn't matter. You won the championship. Can you prove it?”
Did the Celtics make the easiest NBA Finals appearance ever?
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— The OGs Show (@theOGsShow) September 21, 2024
The Celtics were the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and had the best record in the NBA (64-18).
They defeated the Miami Heat (5 games), Cleveland Cavaliers (5 games) and Indiana Pacers (4 games) in the first three rounds of the playoffs to reach the NBA Finals for the second time in three seasons.
All three teams dealt with injuries to their best players (Jimmy Butler, Donovan Mitchell and Tyrese Haliburton).
Udonis Haslem and Shaq say it was an easy path for the Boston Celtics to win the championship 👀
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— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 21, 2024
The Celtics then defeated Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
While it's fair to point out that the competition was weak, the Celtics also posted a dominant 16-3 record in the playoffs.
Boston, Massachusetts, USA, June 6, 2024. Shaquille O'Neal watches the game before Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks at TD Garden. Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images
O'Neal is one of the 20 greatest players in NBA history.
The four-time NBA champion played 19 seasons with the Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics.
