Brad Stevens is getting people mad again, even if the anger is just about the talk surrounding the head coach of the Boston Celtics. Admiration and praise for Stevens is at an all-time high this postseason, thanks to some timely broadcasting from Doris Burke and the success of the Celtics in the wake of two major injuries.
But with that praise and respect comes a significant backlash from people outside the media and around the NBA. Anonymous coaches wondered why people are so quick to credit Stevens for his coaching prowess, and LeBron James noted that the Celtics are no scrubs without Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward whether Stevens is behind the bench or not.
The latest argument against Stevens’ deification comes from Celtics legend Robert Parish, who wants to see some dang rings before he bows down at the alter of the ATO. Parish said he likes some of the things Stevens has done, but would like everyone to pump the brakes on heaping praise on Boston’s coach until they’ve really won something.
Brad Stevens has the injured #Celtics with a 1-0 in the ECF, but is he getting too much credit? Celtics HOFer Robert Parish says yes. pic.twitter.com/l72wIiixGy
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) May 14, 2018
“I think he gets a little too much praise, but I like what he’s doing,” Parish says. “They’re giving him all the love like he won three or four championships. Come on now. Win something first, with all the love he’s getting. Now granted, don’t get me wrong, he’s a solid coach. I’ll give him that. The love he’s getting from the media, you’d think the Celtics won two or three championships. You would think.”
Parish is likely right in that Stevens’ coaching job with this year’s Celtics is a bit “overblown” in the press, but we live in an age where there are more amplified, educated voices talking about NBA basketball than ever. When great coaching moments happen, they’re more likely to be discussed and broken down in front of a more eager audience.
That attention may not be to scale compared to other coaches and games in the past, but it doesn’t necessarily mean praise for Stevens’ work this or any other year is not valid. But, as always, the current state of things is never as good as the past when you’re anchored to a time gone by. Stevens’ success in Boston will never compare to the ghosts of the past, mostly because ghosts keep getting asked to be crabby on sports talk radio.
