Rwandan basketball coach Ali Rugira could not contain his excitement when the Boston Celtics won the 2024 NBA championship on his first season since joining the Jr. Celtics Academy head coach.
Rugira was watching from the TD Garden’s stands when the Celtics clinched their record extending 18th championship after defeating the Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving’s Dallas Mavericks 106-88 on Monday night, June 17, securing a 4-1 series victory.
Rugira was beyond excited to be part of the part of such a team which is now the most decorated in NBA history after surpassing Los Angeles Lakers with a ring ahead.
"Being part of such a historic organization is something I am very thankful for. It’s my first year working with the Celtics, so winning a championship is a big deal,” he told Times Sport.
"Watching the team win this year was incredible. I particularly enjoyed the series against the Indiana Pacers because they challenged us, and each game was closely contested,” he added.
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Regarding the Finals, Rugira highlighted that, "Game 1 was great. Porzingis made a strong comeback and had a standout game after his injury.”
Rugira attributes the victory not to individuals like Jason Tatum, Jrue Holiday or Finals MVP Jaylen Brown but to the collective effort of the team.
"I don’t think it was just one key player. Winning a championship takes a whole team. This Celtics team has a lot of depth, and everyone played a contributing role. For most players, this was their first championship, and they were hungry for it,” he said.
He also praised the involvement of players from the Maine Celtics, which is NBA G League affiliate of the Boston Celtics.
"It was great to see the young players from the Maine Celtics being part of this organization and winning a championship.”
Head coach Joe Mazzulla may take credits of steering the Celtics to their first NBA championship since 2008, but Rugira reserved much more credit to Boston’s president of basketball operations Bradley Stevens for building a strong team.
Stevens is mostly regarded as the brain behind Boston’s brilliance and Jrue Holiday was spotted in celebration telling him, "Thank you for bringing me here”
Reflecting on his role, Rugira said, "Brad Stevens did a fantastic job constructing this championship team, both with the Boston Celtics and the Maine Celtics. Although the Maine Celtics lost to the OKC Blue 2-1 in the G League Finals, their journey was commendable.”
The Rwandan also acknowledged the Boston fans who "definitely contribute to the atmosphere. The Garden is always so loud and creates that contagious energy.”