The first game of the 2024 NBA Finals is on Thursday, and we’re celebrating the ultimate basketball showdown with chess. Two of the biggest stars in the Finals have Chess.com bots and we’re offering a limited-time only bot challenge starting on Thursday at 9:00 a.m. ET / 15:00 CEST / 6:30 p.m. IST.
Will the Boston Celtics, led by Eastern Conference Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, win? Or will the Dallas Mavericks, anchored by Western Conference Finals MVP Luka Dončić, rise to the occasion?
Starting on Thursday, Brown and Dončić’s bots will have their own section on the bot page and both players’ bots will be rated 1000. Their ratings will go up and down based on how many games the Chess.com community plays against each NBA superstar. Think the Celtics will win? Play as many games against Brown as possible.
Both players are huge chess fans who had partnerships and bot launches with Chess.com. Last year, Chess.com collaborated with Brown and his 7uice Foundation for a series of events for high school students from Boston Public Schools. Chess.com partnered with Dončić and his Luk.ai project for a fun, interactive chess event.
Boston has been the season favorite to win the NBA Finals, as they’ve held the best record in the league for a majority of the season. They last appeared in the Finals in 2022, where they lost to the Golden State Warriors. Dallas last appeared in the Finals in 2011, where they won their one and only championship—Dončić was just 12 years old.
The players need your support during the biggest games of their lives. Check back every day to see how their ratings change during the NBA Finals!
Which team do you think will win the NBA Finals? Let us know in the comments below.