USC alumn Bill Sharman won NBA championships as a player with the Celtics (left) and as a head coach with the Lakers (right). Images from reflectionsofyesterday and espn

According to the South Bay’s Easy Reader, former Celtics shooting guard and Laker’s head coach Bill Sharman didn’t hesitate an instant when he was asked which of his former teams was going to come out the ’08 NBA champion. Sharman, a USC alumn, answered:

“The Lakers. I think we’re going to win this series in 7 games…Of course, I root for the Celtics whenever they play anyone else. Anyone other than the Lakers,” he said wistfully. “I’ll always love the Celtics, but I am now a Laker through and through. I’ve been with the Lakers for almost 40 years. They’re family to me.”

A key player for the Celtics from ’51-’62, Sharman helped lead the men in green to four NBA championships. He retired as a player after 11 seasons in the league, transitioning into coaching.

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Sharman coached the Lakers from 1971-’76, leading the purple and gold in his first season as head coach to a national championship, an NBA record 33-game win streak and earning himself the NBA Coach of the Year Award. Sharman is one of only a few people to be enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player (1976) and a coach (2004).

Sharman still holds the record for consecutive free throws in the playoffs with 56. The Lakers could sure use some of his free throw skills in game 4, Thursday night. The Lakers made only 21-34 FTA in game 3, a mere 61.8%.