The Milwaukee Bucks ended a 50-year championship drought Tuesday night when they defeated the Phoenix Suns in Game 6 of the 2021 NBA Finals.
Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo was named the winner of the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Award after scoring 50 points in the series-clinching victory.
The Bucks also made a little history with their title triumph. They became the fifth team in league history to win the NBA Finals after trailing the series 0-2. Milwaukee lost the first two games in Phoenix before winning four consecutive matchups.
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One of the other teams that also accomplished this feat was the 1969 Boston Celtics, led by player/head coach Bill Russell.
The 1969 title was the Celtics' 11th in a 13-year span.
Game 7 of the 1969 NBA Finals was a memorable one. The Lakers got a little too cocky before the game by making it known what their postgame celebrations would be. Balloons would fall from the rafters, the USC band would play, and legendary broadcaster Chick Hearn would interview Lakers stars Elgin Baylor, Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain in that exact order.
Boston Celtics
Russell, who was playing in the final game of his Hall of Fame career, told the Celtics of these plans before the matchup, providing the team with extra motivation. Boston went on to win 108-106.