Answer at the bottom of The Stump!

On this day in 1992…

Al Unser Jr holds off Scott Goodyear to win the Indy 500 by .043 seconds, the closest finish in 500 history.

With Al’s win, Al Jr. and Al Sr. become the first father-son duo to win the Indy 500. Al Sr. won 4 Indy 500’s in total.

You don’t often get to see the 3rd-string big man take the interview stand for a playoff basketball and NBA championship hopeful. I wasn’t sure what to expect from a Luke Kornet interview, but when the Celtics big man answered a question regarding Boston fans leaving the stadium early in Game One, I dropped my jaw.

Obviously, the Celtics came back to win that game despite it looking bleak late into the 4th quarter. Those fans who stayed saw an EPIC comeback, one that many fans would be lucky to say they were there for. It was the perfect moment for a Celtics player to chirp the fans, go after them for not trusting their team, or even go full villain and really lean into them for being fair-weather fans.

What Kornet did, however, was quite the opposite. Here’s the full quote: “Speaking for myself and for my family, I know that the 8:00 start can be a little late and kids wake up at about the same time so I, yanno, you understand everyone is making sacrifices to be there. So, uh, that’s part of it. I think that’s a great thing, it was looking like a tough situation but that’s the cool part of basketball where it can just take one or two plays and you’re able to sneak out the win. I hope they were able to get their kids to school early and were able to get a better emotional and mental state. Cause I know you can be in a rough rut for 2-3 days if you’re tired and the kids are tired. It can be a tough situation.”

I can’t place my finger on exactly why I thought this quote and response was so great, but I think it’s because it was such a genuine response. It was such a real-world answer, from a guy who is a Dad, and just gets it. It would have been so easy to just fall into the trap of this question and go after the fans. Instead, he was a human. 8:00 on a Tuesday is tough. A lot of people have work in the morning, kids at home depending on them, and more responsibilities that I can probably imagine.

Luke Kornet responded with such humility to a question meant as a soundbite or a headline. What a positive outlook, as well. Instead of immediately going to the pissed off response, he was understanding, and looked at the situation in a curious, not judgmental, manner. He didn’t assume the worst in people, he actually assumed the best. Fans have lives to live as well, and that’s not something that a lot of professional athletes can often see through the smoke.

I’m not blaming athletes for not seeing that, fans are brutal, unrelenting, and often take the low road from behind screens and within the mask of the crowd. Kornet had the chance to get back at the fans, but instead he chose to believe they are good people, who are simply ensuring they can live effectively the next day.

My favorite piece from the quotes was this: “I hope they were able to get their kids to school early and were able to get a better emotional and mental state”. This is unlike anything I’ve heard from an athlete before. Kudos, Luke.

Here are 7 moments from yesterday in the world of sports you might’ve missed!

Search for moments. Soak in the moments. Find time for some of those special moments this Memorial Day Weekend.

In a world of technology and IPhone’s, the fact that the MLB still used these bad boys to call to the bullpen is insanity. Honestly the last gasp of air for the land line. Is it tradition? Laziness? Who knows, but the managers always look BADASS picking up the phone and making a ring out to the pen.

C. Southern California, has the most NCAA National Championships in college baseball with 12! Coming in second is LSU, who only has 7! All of USC’s championships came before the turn of the century!