Alex Cora, manager of the Boston Celtics, is looking forward to the time when his team is just one victory away from winning the NBA championship.
This goes beyond the fact that Cora enjoys hoops and visits TD Garden whenever his schedule permits.
Cora has a personal bond with the Celtics, who have the opportunity to win their 18th championship on Monday night in Boston if they defeat the Mavericks in Game 5.
The relationship began with Brad Stevens, president of basketball operations for the Boston Celtics, who contacted Cora in 2020 when he was going through a difficult period and was serving a season-long suspension from MLB due to his involvement in the Astros’ sign-stealing controversy.
Stevens led the Celtics as their head coach at the time. “Brad has been fantastic for me,” Cora remarked.
“He actually contacted me to ask me a few questions about October [baseball], the way we did things, when I was home in ’20.”
The Celtics were in the NBA bubble in Walt Disney World, where they were playing the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals during the height of the COVID outbreak.
Stevens has made several trips to the Red Sox for Spring Training, most notably in 2018, Cora’s first year as the team’s manager.
Stevens gave a motivational speech at the Red Sox Rookie Development Program five months ago.