Star Trek: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Jean-Luc Picard
4. Picard's Connection With The Original Series Crew
Out of all characters from subsequent entries in the franchise, Jean-Luc Picard has perhaps the most ties to the Original Series crew of the Enterprise. The first and most obvious is the connection that he shares with Ambassador Spock, via his mind-meld with Sarek. This linked both men forever and allowed the Ambassador to understand his father better, after his passing.
Picard would share a drink on the holographic recreation of the OG Enterprise with Scotty, lamenting lost loves - in the form of their ships. Barely two years later, he would, of course, meet none other than James T. Kirk himself, first in the Nexus, and then sharing the captain's final moments with him.
All of this has been confirmed on-screen. There is another connection that was confirmed by set decoration, which is the fact he served under Captain Nyota Uhura, aboard the USS Leondegrance. The plaque for this ship was seen in The Star Gazer. The idea for this was proposed for Star Trek: Short Treks, though unfortunately, it has not, at the time of writing, come to fruition yet. The name of the ship, incidentally, comes from the character of King Leondegrance, as whom Patrick Stewart appeared in John Boorman's Excalibur.
There is another link, though this one is a little more tenuous. He and Pavel Chekov both served on two Enterprises, and a ship named Reliant!