Multiple Former Sixers Win 2024 NBA Finals With Boston Celtics

The Philadelphia 76ers saw a few of their former players win the NBA Finals with the Boston Celtics.

Feb 7, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jaden Springer (11) scores past Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

The 2023-2024 NBA season has officially concluded. On Monday night, the Philadelphia 76ers watched their rival team take on the trophy.

With another dominant win over the Dallas Mavericks, the Boston Celtics collected Game 5, making the 2024 NBA Finals a gentleman’s sweep.

All year long the Celtics have dominated the NBA, especially the Eastern Conference. After finishing the regular season off with a 64-18 record, Boston was 14 games ahead of the second-place New York Knicks.

In the playoffs, the Celtics didn’t run into many issues on their path to the NBA Finals. And once they got there, they didn’t look back. For the first time since 2008, the Celtics wrap up their postseason crowned as the NBA Champions.

On Monday night, a handful of former Sixers won the title with Philly’s rival.

Nov 15, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday (4) drives against Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris (12) during the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Jrue Holiday

Not Holiday’s first rodeo. Although Holiday’s time with the Sixers didn’t lead to a ton of winning, Philly’s former 17th overall pick went from a bright spot on a bad team to becoming a key contributor to not one, but now two title-winning teams.

After three seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, Holiday was traded to the Celtics last summer. It turned out to be a key move that helped the Celtics get to the next level. During Boston’s 19-game postseason run, Holiday averaged 13 points, six rebounds, and four assists while shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc. His defense remained an important factor for the run.

With his latest Finals win, the former Sixer is now a two-time champ.

Nov 15, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) controls the ball against Boston Celtics center Al Horford (42) during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Al Horford

The recent years have been Horford’s second stint with the Celtics. After he spent a few seasons in Boston, Horford shocked the NBA when he joined the 76ers in 2019 with a near-max deal. To refer to Horford’s time with the Sixers as infamous would be an understatement.

In his lone season with the Sixers, Horford averaged 12 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. In the playoffs, where Horford was expected to make a major impact, he averaged seven points and seven rebounds. The Sixers were swept by the Celtics that year.

Since returning to Boston, Horford hasn’t exactly flipped a switch and reverted back to his prime form, but he’s been a major piece to Boston’s success. This postseason, Horford produced nine points and seven rebounds per game while knocking down 37 percent of his threes. Being in the league since 2007, Horford finally has his first championship.

Feb 27, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaden Springer (44) drives on Philadelphia 76ers guard Ricky Council IV (16) during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports / Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Jaden Springer

This year was Springer’s first run with the Celtics, and it started halfway through the season. The Sixers made a handful of moves at the 2024 trade deadline, and one of them included packaging Springer to the Celtics for a second-round pick.

At the time, the move came as a shock considering Springer was just Daryl Morey’s second first-round selection since he took over Philly’s front office in 2020. Trading Springer was a signal the Sixers didn’t believe in the short-term development of the 21-year-old out of Tennessee.

Springer appeared in just 17 games with the Celtics during the regular season. In the playoffs, he averaged five minutes in four games. He still hasn’t made much of an impact on the floor during the regular season, but Springer gains some valuable championship experience in his first season with the Celtics.