The Aussie influence in Boston as Celtics chase back to back NBA titles

After playing a key role in last year's NBA championship win, the Australian presence within the Boston Celtics could help them to go back to back as the playoffs begin.

There’s plenty of work still to be done, but this season’s Boston Celtics are already an outlier in the modern NBA.

After claiming a record-breaking 18th championship last year, the franchise’s first since 2008, they’ve just kept on rolling this season, racking up 61 wins on their way to a top two playoff seed. Remarkably, they’re just the fifth defending champions to win 60 games this century, joining some of the most loaded squads in NBA history – the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors, 2012-13 Miami Heat, 2005-06 San Antonio Spurs, and of course, the Pierce-Allen-Garnett “Big Three” Celtics in 2008-09.

Who have been the main contributors to that success? There’s the obvious, of course – the Celtics ran it back with their championship core, led by Jayson Tatum and his continued ascent as one of the league’s true stars. Despite Finals MVP Jaylen Brown battling injuries for parts of this season, their high-level depth in the likes Derrick White, Kristaps Porziņģis, Jrue Holiday and Al Horford has covered any cracks. Payton Pritchard is almost certain to be the NBA Sixth Man of the Year, and fellow reserves Luke Kornet and Sam Hauser continue to grow, all under the guidance of head coach Joe Mazzulla and an experienced staff.

Take a small step back from the action on the court, and you’ll find three Australians that have played their part in Boston’s continued dominance. Phil Coles, Jace Delaney and Steve Mount might not be household names, but they made headlines in Australia last year as they played their role behind the scenes in the team’s championship run.