“Every hour we were there, the fire alarm in the hotel went off, there was no sleeping for 12 hours” - 4x NBA champion says he has nightmares about ‘Boston in June’, picks the Boston Celtics to win the title in 6 games

After splitting the first two games of the NBA Finals, the Boston Celtics are heading back to their home floor for a pivotal Game 3. While the audience has been mostly split regarding who will come out on top, one former NBA champion is riding with an all-too-familiar foe.

When he was a member of the 'Bad Boys' Detroit Pistons, John Salley went to battle against Larry Bird's Boston Celtics on numerous occasions. If not for Bird, the Pistons might have come away with more than two titles in the 80's.

When asked about his prediction, Salley told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith he expects the Celtics to win the series in six games. Part of this stems from the nightmares he still has of playing in Boston during the month of June.

"I got Boston in six... It's this thing about Boston in June. I still have nightmares about Boston in June... Every hour we were there, the fire alarm in the hotel went off. There was no sleeping for 12 hours."

John Salley feels Boston Celtics are playing with house money

2022 NBA Finals: Game 2

Along with the stories of his playing days, there are more reasons to why John Salley is riding with the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. The main thing he pointed out was their attitude during the opening contest.

Because the Warriors are who they are, picking them to win was easy for most. Understanding that everyone is riding with the more experienced team allowed the Boston Celtics to embrace being underdogs. Salley feels their care-free mindset gives them a bit of an edge against Golden State.

"I'm always going with the underdog... When I watched them the first game, I realized they were playing with nothing to lose, and that's a dangerous person to play. When somebody is playing with nothing to lose and having fun, that is a dangerous combination."

There is something to be said about embracing the underdog mentality. Instead of fearing an experienced group like the Warriors, the Boston Celtics are taking the opportunity in front of them and running with it.

Because of this attitude, they were able to storm a late-game comeback and steal a win on the road. Something few teams have been able to do against Golden State in the past.

The series is far from over, but if Boston can keep this mindset moving forward, Salley's prediction could become a reality.