Brad Stevens’ lone ejection still memorable for those closest to him
Brad Stevens’ lone ejection still memorable for those closest to him originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
INDIANAPOLIS — On the campus of Butler University, there is great reverence for what Brad Stevens accomplished both as coach of the Bulldogs and all of his successes with the Boston Celtics in the aftermath. Yet many of the favorite stories shared in and around Hinkle Fieldhouse tend to revolve around Stevens’ unflappable demeanor.
His former players can count on one hand the number of times that Stevens’ choice of cuss words exceeded a PG-13 rating. They tell Bill Brasky-like stories of Stevens remaining calm under pressure, whether it was his stoic nature after heart-stopping game-winners, or his ho-hum approach to defusing the occasional practice skirmish.
Even the stories about Stevens’ rare emotional outbursts end politely. Like the time an exasperated Stevens smashed a clipboard against his side during a Butler game and a projectile rocketed off Gordon Hayward during a television timeout. Stevens had his players’ full attention in that moment — and he quickly apologized for the outburst.
All of which makes February 22, 2014 all the more amusing to those that know Stevens best. Ten years ago today, Stevens earned the first and only ejection of his entire coaching career when NBA referee Marc Davis ejected him with 35 seconds remaining in a loss in Sacramento.
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“I’m trying to think if he even got a technical in my two years [as a Celtics video assistant],” said Alex Barlow, who played for Stevens at Butler then joined the Celtics’ staff in 2015. “I don’t even remember him getting a technical.
“We joke with a lot of the Butler alumni, I think he might have said the F-word three times in two years.”
You don’t need to be a lip-reader to know Stevens grew a bit more comfortable in voicing displeasure to officials…
