Charles Barkley has not backed down on his take that the Boston Celtics will win the 2024 NBA Finals, and he took things a step further on Thursday ahead of the team’s tilt against the reigning champion Denver Nuggets.
Not only did Barkley double down on his belief that the Celtics will win their first championship since 2008, but also he said that a failure to do so would be a significant failure on the organization’s behalf.
“If [the Celtics] don’t win a championship this year, it would be a total gag job,” Barkley said. “They’ve got everything. You’ve got [Jaylen] Brown and [Jayson] Tatum, you’ve got two of the 10 best players in the league, probably. You’ve got a great leader in Jrue Holiday. ... I will be shocked if the Celtics don’t win.”
“If [the Celtics] don’t win a championship this year it would be a total gag job because they’ve got everything. ... I would be shocked if the Celtics don't win.”
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) March 8, 2024
Chuck on the 2024 Boston Celtics 👀 pic.twitter.com/j2ykDrcmYQ
Barkley called Kristaps Porzingis one of the best third options in the league, and even suggested bringing him off the bench, while also paying compliments to Derrick White.
Boston currently sits atop the Eastern Conference at 48–13, holding an eight-game lead over the second-place Milwaukee Bucks. Despite ending last season as the No. 1 seed, they were bounced in the first round of the playoffs by the Miami Heat.
Expectations are once again high for the Celtics as the season begins to wind down, and Barkley made clear that failure to secure their first ring in 16 years would be a significant choke job, especially with such a loaded roster.
