Sorry if I wasn’t clear. He absolutely needs to apologize, etc.
I was mostly just referencing the fact that he could admit he was wrong unlike Mort. The joke was really all about Mort, not JayWill.
Celtics hire Ime Udoka as HC
- Thread starter RedOctober3829
- Start date
I was mostly just referencing the fact that he could admit he was wrong unlike Mort. The joke was really all about Mort, not JayWill.
Celtic coaches who have won championships:
Red Auerbach: 9
Bill Russell: 2
Tom Heinsohn: 2
Bill Fitch: 1
KC Jones: 2
Doc Rivers: 1
5 of the Celtics 17 championship teams had black coaches, including each of the last 3 and a majority (5/8) of the post-Auerbach championships.
Red Auerbach: 9
Bill Russell: 2
Tom Heinsohn: 2
Bill Fitch: 1
KC Jones: 2
Doc Rivers: 1
5 of the Celtics 17 championship teams had black coaches, including each of the last 3 and a majority (5/8) of the post-Auerbach championships.
Ah, the old, the dog ate my Twitter story. Never fails to be completely unbelievable.
Tru dat - Brad’s most glaring weak spot. Over the moon with this hire, wish the new season could start now.
Yes, that's totally what someone hacking a semi-famous person's account would post. 100%.
I believe him.
I love hirings like this. A significant number of recent titles have been won with fresh coaches behind the helm. I would have been beyond pissed if it were some NBA lifer looking for his next stop.
Regarding Udoka’s assistants, if anyone asks my opinion I’ll put in a plug for a Son of New England with connections to both Pop and Nigeria: Vermont’s own Will Voigt.
Super underrated. Fitch was creating rivalry with Max and Bird. KC was the boss, but never needed credit. Perfect combination of letting Bird, go and keeping control.
I am delighted that the Celtics' new coach
1) is copacetic with Tatum and Brown,
2) has had lots of understudy time with acknowledged coaching masters, and
3) was an also-ran as an NBA player, meaning that he already has his ego under control;
and that the Celtics' new GM
1) has a quick trigger in a competitive market for hiring and trading,
2) didn't hire Billups or Cassell, who like performing for the camera a little too much,
3) didn't need to "win" the Kemba trade, but to get it done cleanly and expeditiously, and
4) said all the right things about Kemba on his way out of town.
1) is copacetic with Tatum and Brown,
2) has had lots of understudy time with acknowledged coaching masters, and
3) was an also-ran as an NBA player, meaning that he already has his ego under control;
and that the Celtics' new GM
1) has a quick trigger in a competitive market for hiring and trading,
2) didn't hire Billups or Cassell, who like performing for the camera a little too much,
3) didn't need to "win" the Kemba trade, but to get it done cleanly and expeditiously, and
4) said all the right things about Kemba on his way out of town.
Hacked by Antifa, I'm sure.
Yes--the cliche at the time was all K.C. did was roll the ball out onto the floor and then sit back and watch. He--very quietly--did a whole lot more than that. Along with Russell, K.C. was one of the greatest winners of all time.
Although he also rode Bird and McHale into oblivion. The number of Celtic blowout wins where those guys logged 40+ minutes is crazy even by the stanards of the time.
True, but I think Bird and McHale wanted it that way. McHale made the choice to play on the broken foot in the playoffs, which ended up shortening his career.
I don't think I have ever read where they blamed K.C. for the debilitating injuries (back for Bird, foot for McHale), but maybe I missed it.
I don't think I have ever read where they blamed K.C. for the debilitating injuries (back for Bird, foot for McHale), but maybe I missed it.
Sometimes, a coach/manager's job is to protect players from themselves.
I have a Nigerian-American friend that actually has an SJD, and when I asked her why she bothered (she practices IP law) she joked that her family was Nigerian and they would have disowned her if she’d “dropped out of school after a mere JD”.
On a serious note the only thing that matters here is that Marcus and the JayCrew like him.
There were seasons where the Celtics bench under KC was absolute drek. 1984-85 after Max got hurt. 1986-87 when Walton and Wedman were hurt and Sichting declined. In 1987-88 the bench included Fred Roberts, Dirk Minniefield, and the immortal Mark Acres, all of whom did get minutes. Reggie Lewis was on that last team, but he was far from ready to contribute.
I'm not saying KC Jones bench usage was optimal; it was far from it. But KC did successfully manage some pretty big egos in those Celtics team and got them on the same page, and that is worth something; titles don't come automatically.
Back on topic: it was good to see Stevens go out and decisively bring in the guy he wanted all along. Also a good sign that he took the time to get buy in from the J's and Smart; their voice matters.
I'm not saying KC Jones bench usage was optimal; it was far from it. But KC did successfully manage some pretty big egos in those Celtics team and got them on the same page, and that is worth something; titles don't come automatically.
Back on topic: it was good to see Stevens go out and decisively bring in the guy he wanted all along. Also a good sign that he took the time to get buy in from the J's and Smart; their voice matters.
Obviously in basketball I think of Masai, but even in other fields I'm heavily interested in, like Lightning on bitcoin, one of the most important technical drivers is Nigerian. I'm sure most here have similar reference points in their areas of interest.
I wonder if Udoka will retain any of the current assistant coaches. I’d like to see Joe Mazzulla stay. It might not be a good idea to retain assistants who Udoka beat out for the job. Also, more new coaching voices would probably be better in changing the culture of the team, which is going to be Job 1.
It's a unique situation because aren't the current assistant coaches Brad's guys? The former coach is usually just gone completely.
Most educated group in the US
https://www.chron.com/news/article/Data-show-Nigerians-the-most-educated-in-the-U-S-1600808.php
So he checks a few boxes, in a very positive way, such as being relatable and having a good relationship with three key Celtics. I'm wondering about his in-game coaching ability, how well he can spot and fix problems in real time, or call the right play when the team is struggling, or make the right substitution. Haven't read much on this. Maybe for the obvious reason: he hasn't been a head coach yet. Curious if anyone is seeing commentary that might shed light on his philosophy on such matters (like is he Brad-level forgiving of people taking bad shots?).
Is this partly a result of restrictive immigration policies? Very interesting.
Hardy is viewed by the league as a future head coach. He interviewed for the OKC job when Donovan left and the Knicks job before they hired Thibs.
View: https://twitter.com/byjayking/status/1409377239330869261?s=21
View: https://twitter.com/byjayking/status/1409377239330869261?s=21
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Hardy has had an unusual career path for an NBA coach. He grew up in Richmond, Virginia, and graduated from an elite private school, St. Christopher's. Many/most of his fellow alumni have gone on to work in law, medicine or finance.
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Hardy was also on the coaching staff for the US men’s team with Udoka in 2019, so he presumably has a relationship with the Jays and Smart from then, too.
True, but I was referring to his high school, which is anything but a pipeline to pro sports, whether it be playing or coaching.
If the players respect Udoka, play hard for him and bond together as a team around him then this is a great hire. Regardless, change was needed as these traits were missing last year. As others have noted, this seems like the best choice as he checks off all the boxes.
Udoka to Boston. Billups to Portland. Kidd to Dallas. Penny possibly to Orlando. Cassell and Unseld Jr in contention for the Washington job. Vaughn rumored to be favorite in New Orleans. Besides Rick Carlisle getting the Pacers job, NBA teams are seeing value in hiring Black coaches, after the trend of hiring white, no NBA experience, started as a video coordinator coaches.
Eight seasons ago, there were 14 Black head coaches. This season there were only seven, with four going to at least the second round to the playoffs, and three in the conference finals. Of the three non playoff coaches, two are cons of NBA coaches, and all three had many years of experience as an NBA assistant.
The director of the NBPA has often criticized the dearth of Black coaches in a league where three fourths of the players are Black, as have many players. In a league where a player choosing to move on from a franchise can have a serious impact on the bottom line, owners seem to be getting the message.
We will know that there is true equity in coach hiring when a couple of 35 year old Black assistant coaches get head jobs, after spending college in the computer lab or as a student trainer instead of a D-1 player before signing on to a job as a video coordinator and puts in a decade as an assistant.
Eight seasons ago, there were 14 Black head coaches. This season there were only seven, with four going to at least the second round to the playoffs, and three in the conference finals. Of the three non playoff coaches, two are cons of NBA coaches, and all three had many years of experience as an NBA assistant.
The director of the NBPA has often criticized the dearth of Black coaches in a league where three fourths of the players are Black, as have many players. In a league where a player choosing to move on from a franchise can have a serious impact on the bottom line, owners seem to be getting the message.
We will know that there is true equity in coach hiring when a couple of 35 year old Black assistant coaches get head jobs, after spending college in the computer lab or as a student trainer instead of a D-1 player before signing on to a job as a video coordinator and puts in a decade as an assistant.
View: https://twitter.com/NBCSBoston/status/1409524513117814787?s=20
“Why Wait?” is a great tag line for the 2021-22 Celtics.
“Why Wait?” is a great tag line for the 2021-22 Celtics.
View: https://twitter.com/NBCSCeltics/status/1409534559792861197
Seems like it would be a weird meeting
Seems like it would be a weird meeting