Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens is departing the bubble with a chin up and another season of valuable experience under his wing. It's been one heck of a ride for Stevens and his Celtics so far this year and the seven-year coach has nothing gratitude for his squad.
“I really appreciated the way they played basketball all year.” Stevens said after their final game of the season (per NBC Sports Celtics). “I really appreciated the way that they competed. I really appreciated the way that they blocked out the stuff that didn't matter. I really appreciated the way that they inspired with their voice while they were here and before.”
What was Brad Stevens postgame message to the team? pic.twitter.com/WidziycphB
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) September 28, 2020
Obviously, if you ask Brad Stevens, he'd rather stay in the bubble to compete for an NBA championship but the Celtics blew that opportunity when they bowed down to a red hot Miami Heat squad after six games. Sunday's tough loss will send the C's packing and wrapping up one of the most unique seasons in league history.
There were a lot of distractions on and off the court for the Celtics but they were able to cancel out all the noise and divert their energy towards an impressive Eastern Conference Finals berth and were just a couple of wins away from booking a trip to the NBA Finals. And that, per Stevens, will be a great silver lining for the young Boston squad.
“I appreciated the way they played and found joy and stayed together. We had one minor dust up and [that's] pretty good for a calendar year with a group. It's pretty amazing when you think about it.”
The Celtics have been to three Conference Finals in the past four years under Stevens' tutelage and with the way they've been improving year on year, Celtics fans know that their team is one or two pieces away from bringing the trophy back to Boston.
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