Multiple stars will go toe-to-toe starting Thursday in Boston when the Dallas Mavericks meet the Celtics in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Great storylines abound. Dallas' Kyrie Irving will be facing his former team, as will Boston's Kristaps Porzingis.
The Celtics, who swept Indiana in the conference finals, entered the postseason with the league's best regular-season record. The Mavericks, meanwhile, have outperformed their status as fifth seed in the Western Conference. On the lofty stage of the Finals, several players will aim to either cement or begin building legacies.
Here are five players with the most at stake: Tatum has made it to five conference finals and one NBA Finals (a loss to Golden State) with the Celtics since entering the NBA in 2017. His current reputation is that of a star who can lead his team toward the finish line but not across it. Oddsmakers like Tatum's chances.
Per FanDuel , the Celtics are favored to win their first NBA title since 2008 and Tatum is favored to win Finals MVP. If Boston wins, Tatum's stock will rise significantly. He will become the face of the league and be talked about as one of the league's greatest all-around talents .
If Tatum fails, however, the narrative will become that he's not good enough to be the primary star on a contending team. Irving's tenure with the Celtics ended in brutal fashion, and his relationship with Boston's fan base has never recovered. The last time he faced Boston in the playoffs, in 2022, his Brooklyn Nets.
