Ranking the 8 best potential NBA Finals matchups (Nuggets-Celtics!) for the 2025 season

Then there was one.

The Jayson Tatum-led Boston Celtics finally got the monkey off their back Monday night, winning the 18th NBA title in franchise history as teammate Jaylen Brown captured Finals MVP and appropriately celebrated with his mother. With their victory, the Celtics became the sixth straight different NBA champion since 2019. And as is usually the case, the Celtics are heavily favored to get back to the NBA Finals and repeat because that is the benefit of the doubt a reigning champion almost always receives.

But a lot can change between now and next spring, let alone this coming October when the 2024-2025 season will officially tip off. If a Celtics’ repeat was written in stone this early, none of us outside of the New England area would likely pay attention all that closely.

Let’s break down and rank the best possible NBA Finals matchups for June 2025, which, unsurprisingly, showcases a lot of the Celtics and a certain recent league champion.