The Boston Celtics - Drafting for Championships

The Boston Celtics are NBA Champions, and, with the NBA Draft approaching, they have reminded fans why the talent acquisition event is so important. Yes, there are a lot of talented pieces on this team, but several of Boston’s stars have been developed in house.

While the NBA has arguably the most intriguing free agency of any professional sports, that’s not how winners are being built. The Celtics are the third straight NBA Champion to have both of their top two players drafted by the franchise. 

Jayson Tatum, still just 26 years old, has blossomed into a bona fide star. The 2017 NBA Draft No. 3 overall selection performed well his first two seasons, but he’s become a standout the last five years, averaging over 20 points per game in each season. 

Alongside Tatum is 27 year-old Jaylen Brown. The third overall pick in the 2016 Draft has gone from a single digit scorer as a rookie to steadily improving each season to the point where he’s likewise averaged over 20 points in each of the last five years. The two arguably have the Celtics as the frontrunners to repeat next season.

What the two have achieved, however, is not the outlier. In looking at the last 15 seasons, 10 NBA Champions have had their “star” player acquired via the draft. Of the other five champions, four of them have been led by LeBron James, the greatest player of his generation.

Similarly, nine of those teams have had their second best player come to them via the Draft. And, only one NBA Champion – the James-led Lakers – have not had either their No. 1 or No. 2 options cultivate their internal selection and development.

While the NBA Draft lags far behind the NFL in terms of viewership and discussion, it might be time for that to change.