NBA Finals: Warriors, Celtics Clash In Matchup Of Hoops Royalty

The Golden State Warriors are the new-school dynasty. The Boston Celtics are the old-school, pretty much inventing the term when it comes to the NBA.

Overall, the Warriors have won six championships, dating back to their time in Philadelphia in 1946 (they moved to San Francisco in 1962). They have appeared in six of the previous eight Finals, winning four titles in that span.


Now, they are back, only this time without Kevin Durant, who unwisely bolted for the Brooklyn Nets three years ago. But they still have the core, finally healthy again, in Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.

Now to the Celtics. You know all the names -- Bill Russell, Larry Bird, Dave Cowens, Paul Pierce. And that's just a small sampling. Today's names are looking to make a mark of their own. And you can bet Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart will do exactly that if they can take down the mighty Warriors.

Overall, the Celtics have won 17 titles, but the last came more than a dozen years years ago, when Pierce and Kevin Garnett overtook Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2008.

A photo of the Chase Center scoreboard with 2022 NBA Finals signage prior to Game 1. (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

Interestingly, the Celtics are back in the Finals with Ime Udoka in his first season as head coach. Much like the Warriors did it back in 2015, when Steve Kerr was in his first year as head coach.

But the similarities are few and far between otherwise. The Warriors are sizzle and splash, long-range bombs and lots of dancing around after made baskets. The Celtics are usually all business, relying on a never-say-die attitude and total unity.

That said, of today's Celtics, exactly zero have played in an NBA Finals before this year

One other number: 76. That's how many seasons the Warriors and Celtics have existed. That's also how long the NBA has existed.

So yeah, this is a matchup involving plenty of hoops history. And whoever wins will be making even more history of their own.

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