NBA Finals Players and Coaches
- 0 – Zero players on the Celtics’ roster have played in the NBA Finals before.
- 1 – Boston’s Ime Udoka is looking to win an NBA championship in his first season as an NBA head coach, which is something that Golden State head coach Steve Kerr accomplished in 2015.
- 2 – Two players in the NBA Finals have won the Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award: Golden State’s Draymond Green (2016-17) and Boston’s Marcus Smart (2021-22).
- 3 – Three players in the NBA Finals started the 2022 NBA All-Star Game: Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins and Boston’s Jayson Tatum.
- 5 – The Warriors’ Klay Thompson and his father, Mychal Thompson, have combined to win five NBA championships, the most for a father-son duo (Klay: 2015, 2017, 2018; Mychal: 1987, 1988). • 8 – Steve Kerr has won eight NBA championships – five as a player and three as a head coach. • 121 – Two-time Kia NBA MVP and NBA 75th Anniversary Team member Stephen Curry holds the NBA Finals record for three-pointers made with 121.
- 123 – Golden State has a total of 123 player games of NBA Finals experience, which is split among five players: Andre Iguodala (32), Stephen Curry (28), Klay Thompson (27), Draymond Green (27) and Kevon Looney (9).
- 141 – Boston’s Al Horford has played 141 playoff games without appearing in the NBA Finals, the most for a player in league history. He is set to break that streak in Game 1 tonight.
- 2006 – Golden State’s Gary Payton II is looking to win an NBA championship like his father, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer and NBA 75th Anniversary Team selection Gary Payton, a champion with the Miami Heat in 2006.
- 2008 – This season, Jayson Tatum became the first Celtics player to be named to the Kia All-NBA First Team since 2008 (Kevin Garnett).
NBA Finals Broadcast in the United States
- 3 – Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Doris Burke returns for her third time as a game analyst for the NBA Finals when she joins play-by-play voice Marc Kestecher and fellow analyst P.J. Carlesimo for ESPN Radio’s coverage. Burke made history in 2020 when she became the first women to serve as a game analyst on any platform for the event.
- 12 – Jalen Rose will serve as NBA Finals pregame and halftime analyst for the 12th consecutive year. • 14 – ABC/ESPN’s broadcast team of Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson is scheduled to work the NBA Finals together for the 14th time.
- 16 – Jeff Van Gundy is set to provide analysis for his 16th consecutive NBA Finals, the most for a television analyst covering the event.
- 17 – Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Mike Breen is set to call his 17th straight NBA Finals, the most by any NBA play-by-play commentator.
- 20 – ESPN will produce the NBA Finals on ABC for the 20th consecutive year.
