Not a lot of great NBA players get back to the finals after getting oh-so close to winning it all once. Allen Iverson didn't make it back after 2001. Charles Barkley didn't make it back after 1993. Chris Paul didn't make it back after 2021. And James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Devin Booker, and Luka Doncic have yet to make it back.
But Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and the Boston Celtics made it back after they lost to the Golden State Warriors in 2022. And as it stands, it's fair to assume that Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs will more likely follow their path after their recent finals loss against the New York Knicks.
Victor Wembanyama, Spurs will be back in the finals
The reason many teams and players don't make it back to the finals, especially in the modern era, is the same reason teams don't repeat anymore: there is too much talent (plus the salary cap/apron implications, to be fair).
Even though the Celtics were in a great spot in 2022 (they did hold a 2-1 series lead against Golden State at one point and had a promising young core of the Jays, Robert WIlliams III, and first-time head coach Ime Udoka, plus the presence of guys like Al Horford, Marcus Smart, Derrick White, and even Grant Williams... to an extent), there was no guarantee they would ever make it back to the finals, because we've seen it play out so many times before.
The Celtics didn't win another title in the "Big Three" era after 2008 (though Kevin Garnett's injury in 2009 and Kendrick Perkins' injury during the 2010 finals played big roles in that), even though many expected them to be the NBA's next dynasty. It just happens. (And the Celtics are still looking to make it back after their 2024 championship.)
But this Spurs team feels different. They have an incredible team consisting of young stars (Wembanyama, who may already be the league's best player at 22 years old, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper) and notable veterans (Harrison Barnes and old friend Luke Kornet, who have each won a title before, Kelly Olynyk - also an old friend, made the finals in 2020 with the Miami Heat). Plus, Mitch Johnson looks like he will be a great head coach in the NBA for years to come.
Sure, they may have overachieved this season, making the finals and earning the No. 2 seed when most expected them to be a Play-In team at best, but this wasn't a fluke. They're building something special in San Antonio. I mean, they beat the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder (who many expected to repeat this year) in Game 7 of the conference finals on their home court.
The Spurs are back. And even though they didn't win it all this time around, if I were a betting man, I'd be willing to bet that they will return to the finals in the foreseeable future.
Add us as a preferred source on Google