Robert Kraft addresses Celtics in locker room after Game 3 win in NBA Finals

BOSTON -- Prior to owning the New England Patriots, Robert Kraft was famously a die-hard fan of the local team. But the football team wasn't his only love.

Kraft was a teenager in Brookline when the Celtics won their first championship in 1957, and his affinity for the C's still carries on to this day.

Just days removed from his 81st birthday, Kraft didn't miss his opportunity to be in attendance for Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the Celtics and Warriors on Wednesday night. And Kraft being Kraft, he managed to make his way into the locker room after the game to deliver a message to the winning team.

The Celtics shared a brief snippet of that speech on social media.

"I've been watching the Celtics since I've been a kid -- and that's a few years ago," Kraft said, with C's owner Wyc Grousbeck and head coach Ime Udoka standing by his side. "Back with Bill Russell, and Bob Cousy, and [Bill] Sharman, and [Jim] Loscutoff. And I loved the teams right up through [Larry] Bird. But seeing this, you guys have something special here."

Having been so close to six championship teams down in Foxboro, Kraft certainly has experience being around special teams. These Celtics are now two wins away from proving him right.

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