Kara Lawson recently appeared on former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett's podcast, Coach2Coach.
There, the bench boss of the Duke Blue Devils' women's basketball program shared what she took from her experience with the Boston Celtics and then-head coach Brad Stevens to her current role in Durham, North Carolina.
"The way he treats people with respect, the way he develops camaraderie within the group, I had a really great time with him," said Lawson. "I took a lot of how he coaches and how he deals with people. How he makes everybody feel a part of it, I think, is what I took from my time with him in Boston."
The transformative skill Kara Lawson learned under Brad Stevens
The Virginia native starred collegiately for legendary coach Pat Summitt at the University of Tennessee. The former fifth overall pick then became a WNBA All-Star and champion. In her post-playing career, Lawson's first coaching job was with the Celtics.
In Boston, Stevens, now the organization's president of basketball operations, left a lasting impression on Lawson.
What particularly struck her was that he empowered those around him. He was a leader who fueled the growth of those who were on his staff. There were challenging assignments, presentations in front of the team, and plenty of support along the way.
It was the ideal environment for Lawson to begin her coaching journey. It provided a prime example of how a head coach cultivates a winning atmosphere. Looking back, she told Jason Garrett there is no one she would have rather coached under in her first year on the bench.
Kara Lawson uses her Celtics lessons to build a winner at Duke
The Blue Devils' bench boss is applying what she learned in her formative coaching years in Boston. Everything from empowering those around her to developing camaraderie. Making sure everyone feels like they're a part of what's happening -- because they legitimately have a hand in it.
Those lessons have helped Lawson lead Duke to two straight ACC Tournament titles. In 2025-26, a campaign in which the Blue Devils were also the best team in the ACC in the regular season, she won the conference's Coach of the Year award.
Duke returns aiming for a fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. They have advanced to at least the second round each time. That includes a trip to the Sweet Sixteen and reaching the Elite Eight the last two years.
It is no surprise that Lawson has quickly established herself as one of the top coaches in basketball. It's cool that her time with Brad Stevens and the Boston Celtics helped her reach the heights she is soaring to.
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