Charles Barkley declares Celtics as team to beat for next ‘5 to 7 years’

The Boston Celtics 2024 World Championship banner is raised prior to an NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)AP

The Boston Celtics celebrated their 2023-24 NBA title by raising Banner 18 and receiving their championship rings prior to their season-opening game against the New York Knicks. They’re heavily favorited to repeat as champs, but Charles Barkley believes Boston’s dominance will continue for years to come.

“They’re gonna be favored probably the next five to seven years,” he said on “NBA on TNT.” “They are going to be favored to win the championship. You got Jayson (Tatum) and Jaylen (Brown), they’re two of the 10 best players in the world. They’re young. Derrick White’s young, (Kristaps) Porzingis is young. They’re gonna be the favorites.”

The Celtics made easy work of their opponents throughout the playoffs, including sweeping the Indiana Pacers in the second round and going 16-3 in en route to the Larry O’Brien Trophy. And they did it with Porzingis sidelined for a majority of each series due to injury.

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They also have their core players — Tatum, Brown, Jrue Holiday, White and Porzingis —locked in to long-term contracts. The Celtics, on paper, will be the team to beat not just this season, but for the next several years.

And while teams like the Philadelphia 76ers and the Knicks upgraded their rosters in the offseason in order to compete with the Celtics, it only inspired the 18-time NBA champions to get better themselves.

Boston officially began its title defense at home on Tuesday night. The Celtics raised their banner to the TD Garden rafters after Tatum gave a speech to those in attendance, ending it by telling the crowd, “Let’s do it again.”