There's more at stake for Tatum and Dončić, than just winning an NBA title

Both Jayson Tatum and Luka Dončić are seeking to win their first-ever NBA titles, the kind of legacy-building accomplishment both have longed for since coming into the league.

The Boston Celtics would love to see a lot of this matchup in the NBA Finals, as Boston’s Jayson Tatum looks to score on Dallas star Luka Dončić. (Photo by Tim Heitman/Getty Images)

BOSTON — The Boston Celtics’ final step toward achieving the only goal that mattered this season - winning an NBA title - now has a foe with a face.

The Dallas Mavericks put away the upstart Minnesota Timberwolves in five games, capped off with a dominant Game 5 road win on Thursday night.

With nearly a week before Game 1 in Boston on June 6, there will be plenty of storylines to talk about, for sure.

And while local sports talk will (lazily) gravitate toward the “Kyrie Irving’s back and all Celtics’ fans should still hate him” angle, there’s a much more compelling narrative that will define this series and beyond that, the careers of two of the game’s perennial superstars who have checked off damn near every box for success in the league except one - winning an NBA title.