Multiple Celtics Reveal How They've Turned the Page After Winning the Title

The Celtics know they earned the championship they won just as they know it's a whole new season for them to focus on.

Oct 22, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) reacts after his three point basket against the New York Knicks in the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

The Boston Celtics just won their 18th NBA title. It's not uncommon for reigning NBA champions to have a "championship hangover" in which a team doesn't perform quite as well as last season. On opening night, the Celtics made it clear that they aren't one of them.

After beating their Atlantic Division rival, the New York Knicks, in their season opener, multiple Celtics talked about how they've turned the page after their title run.

Head coach Joe Mazzulla explained how he's proud of the team for focusing on this season, which has led to good early results.

"The biggest thing I'm proud of us is the mindset of the guys. We weren't stuck in the past...We were physical on defense and were together on offense. It's a great start."

Some players get lost in the moment because winning a title is so rare, which affects their on-court performance. Jaylen Brown was not one of them, as he told reporters after the game that he "was locked in" once their game against the Knicks started.

Repeating is on the table for the Celtics. Among those who understand that is Al Horford, who explained that the Celtics are not letting last season's success get in the way of this season.

"We're moving forward, and we understand the opportunity that we have in front of us, and we have to cherish it."

With such an opportunity the Celtics have on their hands, Jayson Tatum explained what the Celtics do to stay locked in after winning a title last season.

"We brought almost everybody back. We play to our strengths. We know what we're trying to do. We know where we're trying to attack."

Better yet, Tatum revealed what the Celtics do to improve their craft overall as a team knowing how much firepower they have on their roster.

"We work on it all the time. We work on reads every single day in practice...We've got some super talented guys and more often than not we've got five, at least four guys that can make threes...Try to get a great shot."

The NBA has not seen a champion repeat since the Warriors did it in 2018. Many factors will be at play for the Celtics to achieve the same feat in 2025, including health and matchups. Among the most important ones is mindset, and it's pretty clear that the Celtics have that one down and are putting their money where their mouth is.