Hall of Fame Broadcaster Has Boston Celtics Hanging Banner 18

Getty The Boston Celtics just won their 60th game of the season.

The Boston Celtics made 60 look easy. The Celtics cruised to their 60th win of the season on Wednesday, April 3, with a 135-100 victory over the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder. The win secured homecourt advantage throughout the postseason for a Boston team that clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference in March.

The Celtics are the overwhelming favorite to win the East and return to the NBA Finals, a feat they accomplished in 2022. They are also the favorite to win their first championship since 2008. After the victory over the Thunder, legendary broadcaster Dick Vitale took to social media and predicted that the Celtics would bring home what would be their NBA-best 18th championship.

Dick Vitale Ready To Crown the Boston Celtics as NBA Champs

Vitale certainly knows his basketball. A member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the enthusiastic Vitale has made his name as a college basketball analyst after coaching at the collegiate and NBA levels.

A basketball junkie, Vitale has had to step away from the microphone recently to address his vocal cord cancer. He’s been asked to stay quiet, which isn’t always easy for the man known for his “that’s awesome, baby” catchphrase.

While he’s doing far less talking these days, he’s still getting his point across. He’s active on social media, and after the Celtics’ blowout win over the Thunder, Vital wrote that he expected the Celtics to hoist their 18th championship banner this season.

Wow just watched the @Celtics win 60th & their multi talents & chemistry tells my VBDI (Vitale Bald Dome Index) they will hang another banner after the @NBA playoffs,” Vitale posted on X. “I love @jaytatum0 since I called his games @DukeMBB & he gets better & better daily. Getting @kporzee was a fantastic move. Yes Red Auerbach will light up a cigar in Hoops Heaven.”

If Vitale Is Right, the Celtics Will Snap a Tie With the Lakers

In 2022, the Celtics held a 2-1 series lead against the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown struggled much of the postseason that year, and Golden State rattled off three straight wins to close out the series.

The following season, the Celtics had a golden opportunity to return to the championship round when they hosted the eighth-seeded Miami Heat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics fell apart and the Heat embarrassed them in front of their home crowd, winning 103-84.

The Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers are tied with the most championships in franchise history with 17. With the additions of Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday to the starting lineup this year, Boston is in great shape to make Vitale’s prediction come true.

After the victory over the Thunder, Brown said he appreciates being on a team that has racked up 60 wins, especially after coming up short the last two seasons. He also knows the postseason is a different animal.

“It’s an honor,” he told reporters. “and it’s a blessing to be on a 60-win team. It’s a lot of hard work that went into that, especially after coming up short last season. We responded, coming back and not skipping any steps. I think we’re on track. Sixty wins, but when the playoffs start, it’s back to square one.”