Basketball and football are two very different sports, but that doesn’t mean two coaches successful in their respective crafts can’t learn from one another.
Bill Belichick and Brad Stevens proved that this weekend, as the New England Patriots coach and the Boston Celtics coach got to chat Friday during an event for Belichick’s charity at Boston’s Seaport World Trade Center.
“Brad and I talked about a lot of things that are just coaching related,” Belichick said Sunday in a conference call. “Obviously the sports are different. I don’t know anything about basketball and he doesn’t know much about football so it’s really not about X’s and O’s and that kind of thing, but you know, more of the other parts of coaching; preparation, training, team work, teambuilding, confidence, communication, players relationships and so forth.”
And while Stevens is entering just his fourth NBA season, the longtime Patriots coach still found a way to learn from how Stevens goes about his business.
“He has given me a lot of insight and I’d say some of the players that they get are a little younger than the guys we get on average,” Belichick said. “They’re coming out of college after one year; we get them after three years or four. Just the transition from college to pro which he obviously has a lot of experience with, coming to the New England area — for most players, that’s an adjustment. We don’t get too many guys from this area, so all the things like that.”
That’s pretty high praise from one of the most decorated head coaches of all time. Stevens, in his typical humble fashion, downplayed Belichick’s complimentary words when the subject surfaced Monday at the Celtics’ media day.
“I think that coaches — and I said this when (San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich) said stuff (about me) — I think they’re really nice when asked,” Stevens said. “I haven’t taught any of those guys anything. I think the reality is that I really enjoy being around high achievers, people that strive for continuous growth and are always challenged to meet the next challenge.”
Stevens faces the challenge of higher expectations for a promising Celtics team that just added All-Star big man Al Horford. But he certainly relished getting to chat with a guy who’s won a few championships in his day.
“Whether it’s in coaching or whether it’s in business, or whether it’s in higher education — whatever the case may be, those types of people inspire me,” Stevens said of Belichick. “I will eat up whatever they’re telling me, and I certainly appreciate Bill’s willingness to open his doors to me and let me learn from him, as others that I’ve gotten a chance to be bettered by being around.”
Thumbnail photo via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images
