Shaquille O’Neal (Image Credits: Getty Images)
The Boston Celtics thrilled basketball fans with numerous dominant performances in the 2023-24 NBA season. Led by stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics secured their 18th franchise championship by defeating the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA finals. While many players appreciated the Celtics’ efforts in clinching the title, former NBA players Shaquille O’Neal and Udonis Haslem have differing viewpoints on Boston’s championship run.
During a recent appearance on the OG’s Show, O’Neal and Haslem stirred up controversy by claiming that the Celtics did not face tough competition and had an easy path to the championship in the 2023-24 NBA season.
O’Neal, who was recently accused of being the mystery man in an Instagram model’s wild photo, started the conversation by saying, “We all know Boston had the easiest run ever to that championship.“
Haslem responded, “They did.”
O’Neal explained, “Can they back it up? That’s all. OK, you had an easy run. It don’t matter. You won it. Can you back it up?”
Udonis Haslem and Shaq say that the Boston Celtics had an easy path to a championship 👀
(🎥 @theOGsShow / https://t.co/U3H0C2xlBo) pic.twitter.com/FmBqek5hGh
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 21, 2024
The NBA legend’s statement sparked a debate among fans, who began expressing their views in the comments section of NBA Central’s post on X (formerly Twitter). One fan said, “Yeah you can celebrate a championship while also acknowledging it was a very favorable path.”
Yeah you can celebrate a championship while also acknowledging it was a very favorable path
— KnicksMuse (@KnicksMuse) September 21, 2024
Meanwhile, another fan stated, “It was definitely a favorable path but they earned that by taking the regular season seriously.”
It was definitely a favorable path but they earned that by taking the regular season seriously
— 🩸 ً (@NbaK824) September 21, 2024
An NBA enthusiast explained, “Can only play the teams in front of them, And they dominated them all. They took care of business.”
Can only play the teams in front of them 🤷🏻♂️ And they dominated them all. They took care of business
— Ryan (@19_loading) September 21, 2024
Meanwhile, another fan mentioned, “Shaq is on a generational hating run this week.”
Shaq is on a generational hating run this week
— Jacob C. Edmunds (@JacobCEdmunds) September 21, 2024
Do O’Neal and Haslem Have it Right About the Celtics?
The Celtics had an amazing regular season, finishing with a record of 64-18. In the first round of the NBA playoffs, they faced the Miami Heat and eliminated them with a 4-1 lead. O’Neal is certainly true because the Heat suffered because of Jimmy Butler’s injury. In the second round against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Celtics dominated as the Cavaliers’ star player, Donovan Mitchell, was injured after playing two games of the series.
In the conference finals, the Indiana Pacers tried their best in Tyrese Haliburton’s absence, but the Celtics eliminated them, leading them to the NBA finals. The Boston Celtics won the championship by taking advantage of the Dallas Mavericks’ inadequate team support for Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic. In conclusion, it is evident that the absence of key players significantly affected the performance of several teams.
