The Boston Celtics could make some serious history in the coming weeks…if not days.
With the announcement that Brad Stevens has replaced Danny Ainge in the front office as the new President of Basketball Operations, there could be even more changes in the old guard in Beantown.
Celtics assistant Kara Lawson could soon follow Stevens up the ladder and become the first-ever female NBA head coach.
Per Jared Weiss of The Athletic:
The Celtics will begin their search for Brad Stevens’ replacement at head coach with internal options, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA. When they do open the search externally, sources expect former Stevens assistant Kara Lawson to be a prime candidate.https://t.co/UsCIIV1YOG
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) June 2, 2021
Brian Scalabrine echoed that sentiment on NBC Sports Boston on Wednesday (transcript via NBC Sports’ Justin Leger:
"“I think they’re going to hire Kara Lawson,” Scalabrine said Wednesday on NBC Sports Boston. “I know the organization thinks she’s unbelievable. I know the players respect her. When she went down to Duke to coach the women’s team there — I mean, I’m just putting A + B = C to me. I think they hire Kara Lawson."
Breaking the NBA head coaching barrier would be yet another historic first for the Boston Celtics franchise, who was the first team to ever draft a black player when they went with Chuck Cooper at #14 in the 1950 draft.
61 years later, there could be another milestone victory for under-represented NBA group. Lawson has been lauded by many, and the current Boston Celtics are a team bereft of egos or a lack of respect.
For all the negative press Kyrie Irving brought to the city during their highly polarizing postseason losing effort, Boston could bring plenty of positive press with such a landmark hire. Not only would it bring smiles to the faces of most of the league’s players, coaches and executives, but having a new voice could breathe life to a locker-room that saw waning efforts at times in 2020-21.
It would show a good message to prospective hirees to see a promotion from within as well. Stevens could help build a player and coach-friendly culture after Ainge famously dealt locker-room favorite Isaiah Thomas for the divisive Irving and brought in outside coaches like Doc Rivers (Orlando Magic) and Stevens from the college ranks.
Lawson knows the game inside and out and was a key figure in the notably successful Tennessee Lady Vols program. This would be a slam dunk hire for the Boston Celtics right now. HH hopes we can see Lawson and Boston break the mold.