Boston Celtics star and NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown celebrated his team's win on Tuesday morning.
Brown posted on his Instagram Story that 89 percent of bets placed on the NBA Finals were predicting the Dallas Mavericks to win the series.
But Dallas only managed one win in the Finals, as the Celtics beat the Mavs 106-88 in Game 5 on Monday night to win the franchise's 18th championship.
With Brown, Jayson Tatum and other quality players leading the way, the Celtics have been the best team through the 2023-24 season, going 64-18.
They quickly eliminated their first three playoff opponents, defeating the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers 4-1 each before sweeping the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
By comparison, the Mavs were 50-32, the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference, and played all four of their playoff games against better-seeded teams.
Despite being a lower seed, the Mavs were fairly dominant, defeating the Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder 4-2, and then beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 4-1 in the Western Conference Finals.
With the dynamic superstar guard duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving playing at a high level throughout the playoffs, there was confidence and expectation among observers that Dallas would be able to give Boston a good series.
But many of the bets on the Mavericks were likely wishful thinking, and to some extent, gambling, as the Celtics were favored.
Dallas had the stars to compete with the Celtics, but Boston's depth was too much to overcome, with Brown and Tatum, along with Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford all contributing at a high level.
Brown ultimately averaged 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.6 three-pointers and 1.6 steals per game in the Finals, and was named the NBA Finals MVP in recognition of his overall contributions and crucial play.
Brown and the Celtics likely silenced any doubters in the NBA Finals, and with their entire core roster set to return next season, a repeat championship is well within reach.
