My world went into absolute turmoil this past Tuesday (June 1st, 2021). As I woke up following the night of a disappointing loss to the Brooklyn Nets, I turned my TV on FS1 to catch up on the day's sports news... and I kid you not, below flashed: "Breaking News. Celtics coach Brad Stevens leaves post after 8 years of being head coach."
Not to be dramatic but my heart literally dropped. I literally felt like bursting into tears because I absolutely adore Brad Stevens. Thankfully, the banner flashed below my screen again and clarified the situation: Celtics President of Basketball Operations, Danny Ainge, was stepping down after 18 years at the helm and Brad was being assigned his post. It still feels so surreal to me. Brad is a great coach and I vouched for him all season despite numerous criticisms he faced.
However, it would be very remiss if I didn't admit that the Celtics needed to shake things up. I try my best not to write about the Celtics because I know I may lack some objectivity at times, but this is something too important to not share my opinion on.
With Brad moving into the Celtics front office as the new President of Basketball Operations, the Head Coach position is now vacant. It's now up to him to make the enormous decision of choosing his successor. Well fear not Brad! I have your back! I think you should hire Kara Lawson and here's why...
Background
Kara is a former WNBA Player and champion. She was an all-star of the league as well. She won a gold medal at the Olympics with the US national women's team. Lawson also enjoyed a stint in broadcasting and is currently the head coach of the Duke Blue Devil's Women's College Basketball team. Someone involved in analysis definitely has to have a good feel for the game. Oh and did I forget to mention that she worked with the Celtics before?! She was an assistant coach with the Celtics and primarily worked with Marcus Smart as a shooting coach during her tenure. Brad Stevens knows her well and had enough faith in her to hire her the first time around. I honestly believe that she should be the leading candidate. She's overqualified.
Why She's Right for the Job
For starters , I think the familiarity she has already established with the Celtics is a huge 'W'. When Kara first left the Celtics, it was clear that she was going to be missed. She established great relationships with the young stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
But no closer relationship than with Marcus Smart (the heart and soul of the Celtics), who was quoted as saying:
"She became more than just my shooting coach, she became a longtime friend and somebody I know I can talk to if I ever needed advice".
After a rough season, I definitely think that a familiar face would do wonders in comparison to flipping the script entirely. A total change up would suggest that the team is looking to rebuild from scratch. I think that portrays the wrong message. I honestly believe that the Celtics have a good core to build off. They just require that final sharpening of the blade, which Lawson would provide.
Additionally, Lawson is a winner. In an interview with the Celtics when first hired as an assistant, Lawson exuded class and flair; all attributes necessary to take the mantle at the NBA's most storied franchise.
This type of leadership is what I think is necessary to move the franchise forward.
So she has the experience, she has the qualities and she has all the necessary qualifications. What else is there to add?
Recently Kyrie Irving made certain comments alluding to racism in the city of Boston, which was magnified in the national media when a fan threw a water bottle at him at the end of game 4 of the Celtics-Nets first round matchup. Did I think the incident had anything to do with racism? No. But I am all but one person.
The general perception of the public in the States has scoffed an eye at the city of Boston and the Celtics organization, despite the Celtics being one of the most progressive franchises in the league:
Drafting the first black player (Chuck Cooper), creating the first black Starting Five, and hiring the first black coach (Bill Russell) in the league.
I think this presents a great opportunity to change the narrative, by not only hiring another black coach, but also the first woman to be a head coach in the league. The optics are powerful. Something like this can spark the excitement that the franchise lacked this past season. A move like this would also do wonders for boosting a team star like Jaylen Brown's trust in the franchise. Who has proven during his time with the Cs that he isn't afraid to speak up on social injustices. Once you keep those guys happy, I'm happy.
Conclusively, Brad Stevens definitely has his work cut out this offseason. I hope he seriously ponders this decision as it is pivotal towards the future of my favorite team. The time for a woman head coach of a NBA franchise is long overdue and I hope the Celtics grasp the opportunity to be bold and make this historical appointment. Kara Lawson is my choice, however some other names that I would also not mind seeing include Becky Hammon (Assistant coach at the San Antonio Spurs , Sam Cassell ( AC @ Philadelphia 76ers) and Chauncy Billups (AC @ Los Angeles Clippers).
Just for fun here's a video of the future Boston Celtics head coach ballin' out.
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