76ers’ Joel Embiid Questions Whether Bucks Gave Celtics 2024 NBA Championship

Kristen Wong | Jun 13, 2024

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid gave NBA fans some food for thought during Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

Embiid, whose team was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, posed a question on social media wondering whether the Milwaukee Bucks inadvertently handed the Boston Celtics the 2024 NBA title.

The 76ers big man asked, “Did the bucks give them the championship?”

Did the bucks give them the championship?

— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) June 13, 2024

The Celtics capped off a 106-99 win over the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on Wednesday night and are one victory away from their 18th NBA championship. Embiid likely isn’t the only one to suggest that Boston may not have gotten this far without former Bucks star Jrue Holiday.

Last October, after the Bucks shipped Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers, the Celtics snagged the 33-year-old guard in a trade of their own, dealing Malcolm Brogdon and Robert Williams III to Portland in exchange for Holiday. 

Holiday, who won an NBA championship with the Bucks in 2021, is averaging 13.2 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists this postseason. As the Celtics continue to cruise past their opponents, Holiday’s offensive contributions and elite defensive prowess hasn’t gone unnoticed. 

After Game 3, analyst Charles Barkley called Holiday the “biggest difference-maker” on the Celtics, and Holiday’s teammate, Jayson Tatum, wholeheartedly agreed.

“I don't know how they let us get him but, I'm so happy that we got Jrue on our team,” Tatum said. “He just makes winning plays. He’s obviously been here and won a championship, and more than anything, he raises everybody else’s level on defense.”

Holiday signed a four-year, $135 million contract extension with the Celtics in April, becoming the fourth player in NBA history aged 33 or older to sign a fully guaranteed contract worth at least $100 million. Given what the six-time All-Defensive player has accomplished in just a matter of months in Boston, the Bucks’ front office may currently be shaking their heads wondering where it all went wrong.