It seems Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens has found the head coach to replace him in former NBA assistant Ime Udoka.
Udoka reportedly was hired as the next head coach of the Celtics on Wednesday.
Fortunately for the nine-year assistant, who spent seven seasons with the San Antonio Spurs and one campaign with each the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets, he’ll be working under someone who was in his shoes very recently. Stevens was Boston’s head coach for each of the last eight seasons. He moved to the front office last month after former president of basketball operations Danny Ainge stepped down.
Stevens explained how he hopes his experience will help him to his new role, in turn helping the incoming head coach.
“The one thing that I should be good at is supporting the head coach and not being involved,” Stevens said Monday during a press conference, prior to the reported hiring of Udoka. “My door is open, but I do not want to be anything but supportive.”
Stevens’ press conference was held after Boston traded Kemba Walker and a first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Al Horford and Moses Brown.
“I’ve told everybody that I’ve talked to, in a weird way, in kind of a messed-up way, I’m looking forward to the first time we lose and I can walk in there and put my arm around (the next coach) and say, ‘I’ve lost a ton here. Let’s go get a coffee. Let’s go grab a beer. It’s OK. It’s part of a long journey.’
“I’m looking forward to that just being a support and staying out of it from a coaching perspective.”
Udoka, whenever his hiring is made official by the Celtics, certainly will appreciate that while working with Boston’s young and promising core.
