The NBA Finals Game 7 is officially underway, as the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers battle for their first-ever NBA championship at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. While the spotlight is firmly on the hardwood, two-weight undisputed boxing champion Terence Crawford took a moment to share what this high-stakes showdown means to him.

Set to face Canelo Alvarez on September 13th at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas in what’s being seen as the biggest fight of the year, Crawford is no stranger to championship pressure. A known supporter of the Los Angeles Lakers, Crawford admitted he’s still fired up for this Game 7 despite his team not being involved.

Ahead of the Finals, the National Basketball Association (NBA) asked several athletes and celebrities one simple question: “When you hear the words ‘Game 7,’ what do you think of?” Crawford, always eager to share his perspective, replied, “Game 7 is like the 12th round to win a world title. It’s either me or him, and I ain’t losin’.”

This Game 7 carries historic weight—it marks the first NBA Finals to reach a decisive seventh game since 2016. The Indiana Pacers earned their shot at glory with a commanding 108-91 victory in Game 6, seizing momentum by forcing 21 turnovers and applying relentless defensive pressure on the Thunder. 

Remarkably, this is just the 20th Game 7 in NBA Finals history, and the first since the Cleveland Cavaliers’ legendary comeback against the Golden State Warriors nine years ago. While home teams hold a 15-4 all-time record in Finals Game 7s, recent history has favored Eastern Conference road teams. 

In fact, each of the last four Finals Game 7s—2016, 1978, 1974, and 1969—have been won by the visiting team from the East. Regardless, it’s yet to be seen whether Game 7 goes down like Crawford pictured it, but there’s a new update on Crawford’s fight against Canelo. 

Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford: Knockout bonus

With the momentum building for the Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford fight, GEA Chairman Turki Alalshikh has added even more excitement for a potential knockout. The announcement came during the kick-off press conference in Riyadh, where Alalshikh revealed, “We will not have [Tom & Jerry fights] anymore. We will have in this fight and our next fights a bonus for a KO.”

The potential dig at slow fights recently aside, the actual bonus amount was not revealed during the presser. However, the move from the Saudi Royal is aimed at encouraging action and discouraging evasive tactics, which is similar to UFC’s performance incentives. Interestingly, both boxers had welcomed the challenge with open arms. 

 “I won’t be running. I can tell you that. But I will be doing a lot of touching,” Crawford said. Meanwhile, Canelo Alvarez chimed in, stating, “He’s not going to beat me. Don’t worry about it. … I’m a winner.”

That being said, Terence Crawford views the NBA Finals Game 6 in a similar light to his upcoming fight against Canelo Alvarez. Having climbed multiple weight classes for the fight, it’s “either me or him” for Crawford, and he “ain’t losin’.” What do you make of Crawford’s verdict on Game 7?