Geagan: The NBA Finals are here and it's time for the Boston Celtics to prove they're champions

BOSTON -- Can you feel it in the air in Boston? That's not a massive cloud of pollen, but the hype for the NBA Finals as the Celtics will finally tip off their championship showdown with the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night.

Finals Fever is everywhere. Kids are going to school decked out in green, and Celtics superfans are readying their attire for later this evening. Establishments around the commonwealth are gearing up for watch parties that will bring fans together for Boston's quest for a title. The Celtics even got Tom Brady to narrate a hype video that will really get Boston fans amped for the upcoming series.

The Celtics made it to the Finals two years ago, but this year feels different. It is different. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are older and wiser (and much more skilled) as they enter their primes. Derrick White is much more comfortable in his role, and Kristaps Porzingis is returning to put the Celtics back at full strength. And you cannot discount Jrue Holiday, who not only brought shutdown defense and veteran leadership, but a ring that everyone could envy in the Boston locker room.

"I think this is a special group. I really do," Brown said at Wednesday's media day. "The core group of it has been here for a few years now. We've been able to go through the experiences of having success but not having success at the same time.

"I think to solidify the ultimate goal is to get over the hump and win. I think that will add a lot to our legacy," added Brown. "But as of right now, that story is kind of still untold."

It's hard not go get hyped up for this matchup, as the Celtics look to end a 16-year title drought. We'll be treated to four incredible stars of the league battling on the biggest stage, with Tatum and Brown set to square off against Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Doncic is a superstar scorer who can hit shots from anywhere at any time, and we all know the extra baggage Kyrie will bring to the series.

But will Dallas' offensive firepower be enough against Boston's stellar defense? We'll find out over the next few weeks.

All the hoopla is over. And now it's down to basketball. The Celtics weren't ready for this moment two years ago, but this definitely feels like their time to shine.

As Joe Mazzulla eloquently put it on Wednesday, the lights won't be too bright for his Celtics team. 

"Unless they change the bulbs in the arena, there won't be any lights brighter than last series," Mazzulla joked.

This has been building for over a week, though it's felt more like months in Boston. The Celtics haven't played a game since completing an Eastern Conference Finals sweep of the Pacers on May 27. Tonight, they'll finally play Game 1 of the Finals, with tipoff set for right after 8:30 p.m.

Are the Celtics feeling the pressure of the NBA Finals?

The Celtics were the best team in basketball all season. They made the regular season look easy, and then overcame any adversity that came their way in their first three playoff series. The Celtics have that determined looked in their eyes, and are going to do whatever it takes to bring home a title.

That's not to say the Celtics aren't feeling some pressure. With 17 banners hanging in the TD Garden rafters, there is always pressure to win in Boston. 

"Some of the greatest players to ever play this game wore this uniform. All of us are honored to follow in their footsteps, the way they paved for us to live out our dream," Tatum said Wednesday. "Essentially, yeah, if you want to be one of the greats to put on this uniform, every great before you won a championship. That's what we try to play for every single season. The expectations are obviously different here. It takes special players to be here and to be a part of an environment like that."

These Celtics have been here before, so they know what is ahead of them. But just as a refresher, Brown said that he has gone back and watched the 2022 NBA Finals four or five times, and also looked back on last year's Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Miami Heat.

"I think you can always learn from anything really. But just being able to watch those moments and learn from them, how to manage your emotions, like, what you would have did differently potentially," explained Brown. "I don't think that's bad to look at and acknowledge and be aware of."

Mazzulla agrees.

"You can pick numerous experiences that everybody in our locker room has been through that you need to be able to use for the situation we're in now. That will remain the same for the rest of our careers," said the Boston head coach. "I think it's all about using what you've been through -- the good, bad, indifferent -- to help you in the present moment. The guys are doing it."

Mazzulla was just a bench coach the last time the Celtics were in the Finals, but he too is using that as a learning experience.

"The toughest team will win. The team that makes the most plays will win. The team that can execute the details at a high level will win. It's no different," he said. "The biggest thing we took as we were going through that series against the Warriors, the things we kept coming back to were the things we kept talking about the entire year - the margins, details, fundamentals, the way you go about executing at a high level."

This has felt like a banner year since the Celtics acquired Porzingis last summer. That got an even bigger boost when Holiday was brought in just before the season.

The Celtics proved throughout the regular season and the playoffs that they were the best team in the league. Now they have one hurdle left to prove they're champions.