Celtics head coach Brad Stevens still looks like a kid among some of the more grizzled veterans of the NBA coaching racket. But Stevens’ youthful face hides both experience and the wisdom that comes with it. Stevens didn’t just look like a kid when he coached little-known Butler to the NCAA National Championship Game two years in a row (2010-11) — back then the 34-year-old Stevens really was practically a kid in the coaching ranks. (Butler lost in 2010 to Duke, coached by then 63-year-old Mike Krzyzewski.)
Now at the grand old age of 40, Stevens is charged with returning the winningest franchise in NBA history, the Boston Celtics, to elite status. Stevens, like the young techies of Silicon Valley, is a data guy. He mines the data and statistics for every advantage. His job, as he sees it, is to “focus on what [a player] does well and get the most out of him.” Stevens has been effective with mediocre NBA talent so far. Now the Celtics have added veteran All-Star Al Horford to their potent mix led by Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley. Stevens isn’t working on his own motherboards now; he’s got some nice parts. He’s trying to build Boston a beautiful basketball machine. The goal, he says, is “to win it all.” 60 Minutes Sports airs Tuesday, November 1 at 8PM ET/PT on SHOWTIME.
