Boston Celtics win NBA Championship: first title in 16 years

The 78th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA) brought several noteworthy developments. Chief among them was the Boston Celtics winning the championship after a 16-year drought. Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and their teammates had an impressive run, culminating in an easy victory over the Dallas Mavericks, led by the formidable duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. The Celtics won the series in five games, capping off a fantastic regular season where they dominated the Eastern Conference with a record of 64 wins and 18 losses.

The Mavericks, who finished fifth in the Western Conference during the regular season, had to concede defeat in the finals despite overcoming the Clippers, Thunder, and Timberwolves in the playoffs. Jaylen Brown was named the Finals MVP, marking the seventh time a Celtics player has received this honor.

This season also saw the introduction of the In-Season Tournament. This special tournament, held between November and December, concluded with the Los Angeles Lakers triumphing over the Indiana Pacers at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. LeBron James made history by becoming the first MVP of this new competition.

The tournament format featured teams divided into six groups, three from the East and three from the West, determined by a draw. The top six teams advanced, along with the two best runners-up. The Lakers defeated the Phoenix Suns, New Orleans Pelicans, and finally the Indiana Pacers, all in single-elimination games.

In terms of regular-season awards, Nikola Jokic claimed his third MVP title. Rudy Gobert matched a record by winning his fourth Defensive Player of the Year award. San Antonio Spurs' French star, Victor Wembanyama, won Rookie of the Year, while Naz Reid of the Timberwolves took home Sixth Man of the Year. Tyrese Maxey was recognized as the Most Improved Player, and Mark Daigneault of the Oklahoma City Thunder was named Coach of the Year. The All-NBA First Team included Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, and Jayson Tatum. No Italian players made it to these prestigious lists.

Among the surprises of this recently concluded season were the Oklahoma City Thunder, who finished second in the Western Conference but were eliminated in the second round by the Dallas Mavericks. The New York Knicks also made a notable return, finishing second in the East and narrowly missing the Conference Finals after losing Game 7 to the Indiana Pacers.