Brad Stevens: 'I'll be here a while ... Unless they decide they don't want me'

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Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens: 'I'll be here a while ... Unless they decide they don't want me'




Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens said he'll be with the Celtics for the foreseeable future. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)


Tom Westerholm | twesterh@masslive.com By Tom Westerholm | twesterh@masslive.com

on August 09, 2016 at 12:50 PM, updated August 09, 2016 at 12:51 PM



Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens established himself as a rising star in the NBA coaching ranks quickly after signing with the Celtics in 2013 to replace Doc Rivers, and since then, whispers here and there have dotted the rumor mill about a potential return to the college ranks.

Stevens and the Celtics put those rumors to rest earlier this summer, extending the contracts of both Stevens and general manager Danny Ainge. Stevens further reassured Celtics fans on the Vertical Podcast with Chris Mannix on Tuesday.

"I'll be here a while. Maybe. Unless they decide they don't want me here," Stevens quipped to Mannix. "Then I'll have to decide what's next."


That's ... unlikely. The Celtics have improved vastly, getting almost inconveniently good under Stevens' coaching. In his first season, the team was projected to bottom out and lose as much as possible, making a push for Andrew Wiggins or Jabari Parker, but instead, they won enough games to land the No. 6 pick and Marcus Smart. The next season, Stevens led an unlikely group to the playoffs. Last year, the Celtics — with the added protection of the Brooklyn Nets pick in their back pocket — won 48 games, an incredible turnaround from when they gave up Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to the Nets and went into a full rebuild mode.

That improvement was thanks in large part to Stevens, and the way he brought the team together with a tough, defensive identity and an empowering offensive philosophy that encouraged players to play to their strengths.

For his part, Stevens — who dodged answering a question about the length and value of his new contract — credited the ownership group for creating an environment that he wanted to be a part of.

"They approached me on it," Stevens said. "This is one of those things: We've enjoyed living here, I've enjoyed coaching here, I like the group we have, I like our direction, I like that we're empowered every day by our ownership and leadership to just do our part well. We all have a small role to play to help this thing move forward."

Some roles are bigger than others of course, but Celtics fans can rest assured that Stevens — whose role falls on the much larger side — will remain with the team for the foreseeable future.



bob


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Ben Rohrbach
@brohrbach about 2 hours ago
Brad Stevens to @Chris Mannix on his contract extension: "We're not going to get into the terms, but I'll be here for a while."

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Ben Rohrbach
@brohrbach 2 hours ago
Stevens on Jaylen Brown's shooting: "I believe he'll be absolutely fine with work. And I believe in his work. I believe in his touch."

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Ben Rohrbach
@brohrbach 3 hours ago
"These guys go into every game believing they can win, and you get a lot of joy coaching a group like that." Stevens on the Celtics.

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Ben Rohrbach
@brohrbach about 3 hours ago
Versatility, passing & leadership chief among Stevens' reasons for pursuing Horford: "He complements everybody, whether you go big or small"

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bob


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