Brad Stevens’ honesty sold Enes Kanter on his new team.
The Boston Celtics center revealed the head coach was a key factor in his decision to join the team in free agency, telling HoopsHype’ Alex Kennedy on Sunday what he believes set Stevens apart from other NBA bosses.
“Of course,” Kanter said when asked whether Stevens boosted the Celtics’ chances of signing him. “He’s the type of coach who tells you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. He’s keeping it real all the time. Obviously, he’s one of the youngest coaches in the league and he’s already been so successful and done some amazing things.
Kanter shared an anectode about Stevens that confirmed his initial instincts about the Celtics coach.
“He’s a little guy! We had a practice and right after the practice, he was playing one-on-one with the ball boys,’ Kanter continued. “I’m like, ‘Wow, he’s good!’ He was amazing. I sat there and just watched him for I-don’t-know-how-many minutes. He was playing defense, he was making shots, he was (joking with) them and he was having a lot of fun with them. I was just like, ‘Man, he’s definitely special!’ He definitely played a big role in my decision.”
Kanter joined the Celtics earlier this month on a reported two-year, $10 million contract. He’s expected to replace Al Horford’s interior precedence, 3-point prowess and be one of the veteran leaders on whom Stevens relies to help build a winning culture. Although Kanter must work to achieve the first two tasks, his admiration for Stevens should bring his third target to within touching distance easily.
