The 2023-24 NBA season tips off Tuesday, and it didn’t take long for TNT’s Charles Barkley to be asked about his NBA Finals prediction.
Ahead of the first game of the regular season, Barkley was asked who he thinks will take home the title this year. The 60-year-old went with one of the league’s favorites, selecting the Celtics as his choice to win the 2024 NBA Finals.
“The one thing the Celtics were missing was a point guard. And they got probably the best point guard available,” said Barkley, referring to Jrue Holiday, via Ben Golliver of the Washington Post.
TNT’s Charles Barkley picks Boston to win 2024 title: “The one thing the Celtics were missing was a point guard and they got probably the best point guard available [in Jrue Holiday]… I’d probably pick the Celtics to win this thing because I like the [Kristaps] Porzingis trade.” pic.twitter.com/VS6EJ2GLEz
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) October 24, 2023
Barkley admitted he had previously thought the Bucks were favorites to win after their blockbuster acquisition of Damian Lillard, but that changed when Boston responded by trading for Holiday as well as Kristaps Porzingis.
“If you ask me right now, I’d probably pick the Celtics to win this thing, because I like the Porzingis trade,” Barkley added.
Both Boston and Milwaukee are considered to be among the favorites to win the 2024 NBA Finals, based on preseason odds, but Barkley said that adding Holiday and Porzingis to the mix for the Celtics makes them his pick to win it all.
