Morning Sports Update

Steve Kerr recalled being at Game 4 of the 1984 Finals, seeing Kevin McHale clothesline Kurt Rambis

"There’s just something about playing in Boston that feels special every year."

Steve Kerr Celtics
Steve Kerr speaking during media day prior to the start of the 2022 NBA Finals. Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

By Hayden Bird

3 minutes to read

The Red Sox defeated the Reds on Wednesday night, 7-1. Jackie Bradley Jr. led Boston to victory with four RBIs.

Tonight, the Celtics face the Warriors in Game 1 of the NBA Finals at 9 p.m.

And in international news, the Ukraine men’s soccer team defeated Scotland 3-1 on Wednesday to advance in World Cup qualification. The Ukrainian team will now face Wales on June 5, with the winner advancing to the World Cup (and a place in Group B, which also includes the United States).

Steve Kerr’s memory of the 1984 Finals: Before the start of the 2022 NBA Finals, Warriors coach Steve Kerr took a stroll down memory lane.

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“I grew up watching Magic and Bird go at it in the ‘80s,” Kerr told reporters on Wednesday, referencing the classic finals between Magic Johnson’s Lakers and Larry Bird’s Celtics.

Kerr, who in 1984 was home in California after his freshman year at the University of Arizona, managed to buy tickets to Game 4 of the finals between Boston and Los Angeles. Though he had a distant vantage point, Kerr was able to witness a dramatic back-and-forth game (won eventually by the Celtics), and a famous moment that had a profound effect on the matchup.

“I was sitting literally in the last row of the Forum when Kevin McHale took out Kurt Rambis and changed the series,” said Kerr. The Celtics won Game 4 to even the series at 2-2 and would go on to defeat the Lakers in seven games.

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Though he was admittedly a Lakers fan, Kerr acknowledged that he eventually came to appreciate the Celtics, and playing in Boston.

“Some of my favorite memories as a player were playing in Boston Garden,” Kerr recalled. “I remember starting a game early in my career — we had a couple guys injured — and going out to halfcourt and bumping fists. Larry Bird actually said, ‘Good luck, Steve.’ I was like, ‘You, too, Larry.’ I was like, ‘What is happening right now?’ It was surreal. It was thrilling to be on the Garden floor.”

As he surveyed his 2022 opponent, Kerr paid respect to Celtics basketball.

“There’s a mystique that exists with the Celtics for sure. Incredible franchise, incredible history,” Kerr explained. “And for me, just having grown up watching those games and being a fan, it’s pretty cool to be coaching in the finals against them.

“The Celtics and the Lakers are the two biggest brands in the game,” he added. “They each have the most history to their franchises. There’s just something about playing in Boston that feels special every year. Their fans love the game, there’s great energy in there. The green and white jerseys, it’s classic NBA stuff. It’s exciting to be playing them.”

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Trivia: Steve Kerr won five NBA titles as a player. Three came with Michael Jordan’s Bulls before Kerr added two more with the Spurs. Can you name the four teams he helped beat in the NBA Finals during his playing career?

(Answer at the bottom).

Hint: The teams were coached by George Karl, Jerry Sloan, Jeff Van Gundy, and Byron Scott.

More from Boston.com:

Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady defeated Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen: Rodgers nailed the winning put after an eventful and dramatic edition of The Match.

Kendrick Perkins previewed the NBA Finals:

On this day: In 2001, Manny Ramirez crushed a 491-foot home run in 2-1 win over the Blue Jays.

Daily highlight: Bryan Abreu somehow got the out after playing the self-pass off the pitcher’s mound.

Trivia answer: SuperSonics, Jazz, Knicks, Nets.

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