MIAMI — Almost 19 years have handed since Johnny Damon helped create historic previous as a member of the 2004 Purple Sox. Now, he’s completely invested as one different Boston workforce tries to make the similar historic previous of its private.
Damon, the truth is, was the center fielder for these ‘04 Sox, who turned the first workforce in MLB historic previous to beat an 0-3 playoff assortment deficit as they gained 4 consecutive video video games over the rival Yankees after which went on to win the World Sequence. Naturally, Damon has been wrapped up watching the Celtics, who’re on the cusp of turning into the first workforce in NBA historic previous to appreciate the similar feat in opposition to the Warmth. So quite a bit so, he wanted to see it for himself.
When an opportunity obtained right here as a lot as go to Sport 6 on Saturday evening time in Miami, Damon – who lives in his hometown of Orlando – couldn’t transfer it up.
“A buddy of mine is a large Celtics fan, and he’s like, ‘Oh, we gotta go down. It’s important to convey your (World Sequence) ring,’” Damon said on Sunday. “I was like, ‘Uh, OK.’ So he had a Quotation 10 (jet) in a position to rock and roll and we went down. …
“We had an ideal evening.”
Positive enough, there Damon was on Saturday, courtside on the Kaseya Middle and flashing his World Sequence ring as he witnessed the Celtics win on Derrick White’s miraculous buzzer-beater to drive Sport 7 of the Jap Convention Finals on Monday evening time in Boston. Damon, who’s a fan of the Orlando Magic, said the game moreover gave him an opportunity to satisfy up with Charles Barkley, who he performs golf with usually, and his former neighbor Shaquille O’Neal, who’re every part of TNT’s safety.
Johnny Damon exhibiting off the 💍#RedSox #BleedGreen #DirtyWater pic.twitter.com/swjFQ2C7Um
— Celtics on NBC Sports activities Boston (@NBCSCeltics) May 28, 2023
On Sunday, Damon was nonetheless in disbelief of what he observed.
“What an ideal end,” Damon said. “I indicate, no individual knew who the (expletive) gained the game ultimate evening time. And it was like, ‘Uh, did that simply occur?’ …
“When Jimmy Butler hit these three free throws, it was like, recreation’s over. All they needed to do was play 2.6 or 2.8 seconds left to complete the sport, and the Warmth couldn’t do it. Wow.”
The comparisons between the 2004 Purple Sox and 2023 Celtics had been simple to make after the C’s went down in a 0-3 assortment hole. Just like the Purple Sox, who misplaced 19-8 in Sport 3 of the 2004 ALCS, the Celtics suffered a humiliating Sport 3 defeat that put them of their seemingly unimaginable state of affairs. The C’s appeared to welcome the comparisons, even when it appeared a bit compelled initially.
“Don’t allow us to get one,” Marcus Good said sooner than Sport 4, repeating a widely known line made by the Purple Sox’ Kevin Millar sooner than Sport 4 of the 2004 ALCS when he said, “Don’t allow us to win tonight.”
Three consecutive wins later, and historic previous is on the Celtics’ doorstep just like the Purple Sox in 2004. Damon is embracing it.
“Now we have an opportunity to have one other group within the dialog with our 2004 Purple Sox,” Damon said. “This Celtics group, they had been down and out after Sport 3, form of like we had been again in 2004, 19 years in the past. They figured it out. Individuals had been calling all of them sorts of names like, ‘Oh, they didn’t struggle, they didn’t do that, they didn’t do this,’ however right here they’re. Sport 7.”
Monday evening time ensures to be a wild evening time at TD Backyard, the place it’s undoubtedly attainable that various members of the 2004 Purple Sox will seemingly be in attendance to see the Celtics attempt to make historic previous. Damon, though he teased on Twitter that he wanted to make the journey to Boston, said he’ll be unable to go. It seems likely that David Ortiz, who’s been in attendance for various Celtics playoff video video games in current instances, will seemingly be there.
“That’d be nice,” said Al Horford, who’s an in depth good pal of Ortiz. “You realize, at this level, that is particular for Boston and Boston sports activities.”
The Celtics predict an unbelievable atmosphere on Monday evening time. Jayson Tatum said after Sport 6 that he had on no account been additional excited to get once more to Boston in his life as a result of the Celtics try to turn into the first of 151 teams in NBA historic previous to beat an 0-3 hole whereas concurrently advancing to their second consecutive NBA Finals.
As epic and exhilarating as Sport 6 was, the Celtics know they haven’t achieved one thing however.
“All of us talked about it,” Tatum said. “We’re all acutely aware it’s not time to have time. We didn’t accomplish one thing. We gained an enormous sport that we wanted to win in unbelievable development. We’re happy with the way in which through which we carried out, happy with the way in which through which we figured it out.
“However the job is way from completed.”
Damon has been there. His Purple Sox accomplished the job in Sport 7 at Yankee Stadium. Damon hit two residence runs, along with a grand slam, as a result of the Sox rolled to a 10-3 victory over the Yankees, then to a sweep of the Cardinals throughout the World Sequence and into Boston sports activities actions lore. The Celtics are hoping to be remembered within the similar methodology.
“It’s a really cool situation,” Damon said. “You realize what, hopefully they’ll get the job completed so there’s one different workforce throughout the dialog. However within the occasion that they don’t, they’re going to should preserve talking about our workforce and the way in which good we had been and the way in which quite a bit we wanted to beat and the way in which quite a bit we wanted to fight, and the way in which quite a bit we wanted to do our footage of Jack Daniels and all that nice issues.
“So, for the Boston followers, they’ve been nice to me for a very long time and I obtained nothing towards the Warmth, however might the most effective group win (on Monday).”
