The Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics will face off in the 2022 NBA Finals, marking just the second time in history that these two franchises meet in a championship series.
Last time the Warriors took on the Celtics in the Finals was in the 1963-64 season. Back then, the Golden State Warriors were called the San Francisco Warriors and its superstar was none other than the legendary Wilt Chamberlain.
On the other end was Bill Russell, who was coming off five consecutive NBA titles with the Celtics. Russell and company would go on to defeat Chamberlain and the Warriors for a sixth straight championship, breaking an American professional sports record.
Wilt Chamberlain vs. Bill Russell
The contest was the first time Chamberlain and Russell would go toe to toe in the Finals. They would meet again five years later, but this time with Chamberlain on the Los Angeles Lakers. Russell once again got the best of Chamberlain in that series.
In the 1964 NBA Finals, Chamberlain averaged 29 points to Russell’s 11, but Boston won the series 4-1. This year, Stephen Curry and Jayson Tatum will duel for the NBA title under much different circumstances.
While Tatum will play in his first Finals, Curry and company have reached this stage six times in the last eight years. During the season, the two franchises faced each other twice and split victories.
Marca
