Inside The Spurs

Spurs Starter, June 18, 2024: Boston Celtics Win 18th NBA Championship

Your daily briefing on what's going on with the San Antonio Spurs, including news, draft & more.

Matt Guzman

Jun 17, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) holds up the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy after the Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks in game five of the 2024 NBA Finals at the TD Garden.
Jun 17, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) holds up the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy after the Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks in game five of the 2024 NBA Finals at the TD Garden. / Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
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Happy Tuesday, Por Vida fans! Welcome to your morning Spurs Starter.

After a five-game Finals series, the Boston Celtics secured a 106-88 victory over the Dallas Mavericks to officially become the NBA Champions for the 18th time in franchise history — the most of any other team in the league.

Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, Derrick White and Kristaps Porzingis headlined the Celtics' core for most of the regular season and entered the year primed for a title run after losing in The NBA Finals just two seasons before. Overall, it made for high expectations.

And the Celtics delivered.

READ MORE: San Antonio Spurs-Ex Derrick White Speaks on NBA Finals Mindset

Confetti covered the court at TD Garden as Tatum celebrated with his son — an NBA fan-favorite —Duece and White spoke on a chipped tooth he sustained during Game 5. Brown was awarded the Finals MVP trophy and Horford finally got his ring after his 17th season as a pro.

The San Antonio Spurs have a ways to go before they'll be in contention for a deep playoff run, but they can certainly look at some of the success Boston found this season to base their continuing rebuild on as they look to build on Victor Wembanyama and Devin Vassell.

That said, Spurs fans will have to wait for theirs, but Celtics fans can celebrate their team's victory by buying Sports Illustrated's digital commemorative NBA championship issue at this link.

Now, onto the headlines:

THE NEWS

1. READ: BEHIND JOHN WALL'S HOPEFUL NBA COMEBACK & BLACK FATHERHOOD JOURNEY

John Wall is a former NBA All-Star with three passions. One is basketball, which he's done professionally for years, and the other two are his sons, Ace and Amir. He's an athlete, yes, but more than that, he's a Black father.

Read the full story above.

2. LOOK: VICTOR WEMBANYAMA SEEN WORKING OUT WITH JAMAL CRAWFORD

As the 2024 offseason rages on, the San Antonio Spurs have decisions to make, but Victor Wembanyama is simply focusing on honing his craft. Monday, that meant working out with former NBA star Jamal Crawford, who could certainly be a big help to the rising siphomore and his ball-handling skills.

Take a look:

3. READ: WHY LONZO BALL'S VICTOR WEMBANYAMA TAKE SPEAKS TO ROOKIE'S POTENTIAL

“He has a chance to be the best player ever," Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball said of San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama. "I’ll say that right now, and I’ll stand on ten."

Read the full story above.

THE DRAFT

The 2024 NBA Draft is eight days away, and set to take place over the course of two days — a new format — from Wednesday, June 26 to Thursday, June 27.

According to The Ringer's big board, San Antonio is projected to select G League Ignite guard Matas Buzelis with the No. 4 overall pick to headline its 2024 draft class and Providence's Devin Carter with No. 8 overall pick, should it elect to keep both.

The Spurs aren't locked into their decision as of now, so a deal could still come to fruition, but only time will tell how the team decides to use their two top-10 picks.

THE CLOSER

Make sure to check out our homepage for more news and follow us on the platforms below. Thank you for tuning in and enjoy the rest of your Tuesday.

Published
Matt Guzman

MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI and a staff writer for multiple collegiate sites in the same network. In the world of professional sports, he is a firm believer that athletes are people, too, and intends to tell stories of players and teams’ true, behind-the-scenes character that otherwise would not be seen through strong narrative writing, hooking ledes and passionate words.

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