Stevens: ‘I already have a job’
Calls talk in Hoosierland ‘flattering’
Brad Stevens’ connections to his home state will always be a lifeline, but whenever the Indiana men’s program fires another head coach, as was Archie Miller’s fate Monday, the Celtics coach’s name rises above Hoosierland like the Easter star.
But, as Stevens said on several occasions prior to Tuesday’s game against Utah, he’s not interested. But no matter. An Indianapolis Star columnist wasted no time naming Stevens — his successes at Butler longsince immortalized — as the solution to the Hoosiers’ prolonged mediocrity.
That’s not to say he doesn’t feel an emotional tug whenever his state’s flagship school has trouble.
“It means a lot. It means a lot,” Stevens said of the lifeline. “Listen, I’ve got a lot of friends back there. I’ve got a lot of people that are really important to me there. My dad’s still there. That does mean a lot. I won’t act like that doesn’t. It’s flattering. But I also realize that I’m the coach of the Celtics. It’s been an amazing opportunity, an amazing challenge every day for the last eight years and I’m extremely grateful for that.”
There’s no doubting that Indiana remains one of the most challenging, pressurized jobs in college basketball. Indiana’s history, galvanized by the controversial reign of Bobby Knight , had a major influence on the young Stevens.
“Listen, every job has its challenges. Every job has its great things. I don’t really wanna act like I know,” Stevens said of what’s going on there. “Obviously, I have a great affinity for that state and basketball in that state. That place was a huge part of what drove my passion for basketball. In fact, it was THE central thing. I don’t know what challenges each place has because you don’t work there. But I know when you’re a kid growing up in that state basketball means a lot and the college programs in the state mean a ton.
“And, for me growing up, it was certainly IU. But you know, hey, I think Archie is a good coach and he did a really good job of preparing Romeo (Langford). I thought when Romeo came in you could tell he was advanced in a lot of ways. I’ve known Arch for a while. I haven’t talked to him much. I think, in coaching, you always recognize how hard it is to be good, how hard it is to win.”
Ainge: Trade market ‘slow,’ many rumors
Danny Ainge swung by the press section prior to the Jazz game to report that contrary to rumors, his progress leading up to the March 25 trade deadline has been “slow. Lot of rumors.”
To emphasize the point, the Celtics president said “there’s a lot of false” comments regarding said rumors.
Stevens salutes Shrewsberry
Stevens was much more in the mood to chat about his longtime friend and former assistant coach, Micah Shrewsberry, landing the head coaching job at Penn State after spending the last two seasons as an associate head coach under Matt Painter at Purdue. Shrewsberry has actively sought a head coaching job in college since his days as a Celtics assistant, including attempts to land head jobs at UMass and Boston College.
“We’re thrilled. I think the whole Celtics organization,” said Stevens. “My family — for us, the Shrewsberrys are not friends, they’re family. For him to get the opportunity to go to Penn State, be named the head coach at Penn State, I had a huge bag of gear arrive at my house because we ordered it right when we found out. I could not be more thrilled for him. Couldn’t be a more deserving person and a guy that I think will be incredible now that he has his own opportunity.”
Stevens has known Shrewsberry on every level, including when they first met as high school basketball players.
“The greatest compliment you can give somebody on a sports team is that they made everybody around them better,” he said. “I used to play with Micah in open gym, traveling across the city of Indianapolis when we were 16, 17-years-old, when we didn’t hardly know each other. And it was obvious then he was a guy you wanted to play with, because he knew how to play and he’d get everybody the ball and he made his team better.
“Then I played against him in college and it was the same thing. And I worked with him at Butler, it was the same thing. We both had young families together; they’re always there for us. And spending six years with him here. He’s as good as it gets, he’s got great perspective. He’s a great basketball coach. Obviously, I think going back to Purdue was a great move for him because it got him back into the mindset of recruiting, Matt let him call the plays and run the offense at Purdue, which tells you a lot about Matt Painter and the way that he approaches things. I’m happy for him. I’m really happy for him.”
In testing protocol
Tristan Thompson missed the Utah game due to health and safety protocols. Langford, also in protocol, isn’t expected back either Thursday or Friday, according to Stevens.