NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: CELTICS VS. HEAT

September 23, 2020

Brad Stevens

Boston Celtics

Game 4: Pregame

Q. When you have essentially six starters like you do, how difficult is the conversation with the one guy who's not going to be in the opening lineup most nights?

BRAD STEVENS: Not very difficult. Just tell him what the deal is. Everybody's just about winning.

Q. With the Breonna Taylor news, your reaction to it? How do you navigate this with your team when you have a basketball game to play, yet you know how much this means to your team?

BRAD STEVENS: Yeah, I heard Steve Kerr say this is demoralizing news. I think the idea of just going into that apartment doesn't make any sense. To have 15 rounds of gunfire fired, five of which hit her, and there to be wanton endangerment, which I didn't know existed before today, as the charge. Yeah, I mean, it's tough.

I think at the end of the day there's been a call across the country, rightfully so, for more transparency, more accountability, just a better community relationship. Obviously this feels like a setback to that.

At the same time I guess the other side is you see a lot of cities, a lot of places, really taking steps that should have been taken a long time ago, but at least being taken now, whether it's meeting the initiatives of the 8 Can't Wait, committing to civilian review boards, better transparency and data, diversifying the police force even more to match that of the neighborhood, whatever the case may be. This doesn't feel good today.

So what I told the team was, I just sent them a text midday, because everybody has their own thing that they do during the day of the game, and I just said, If you need somebody to vent to, if you need somebody to talk to, if you want to call or get me in person at the gym, feel free.

Q. You've said many times in the bubble there's certain basketball questions you've been asked, and you've said there are bigger things.

BRAD STEVENS: Right.

Q. How important is it that when this season ends, next season starts, the same energy continues?

BRAD STEVENS: Yeah, I mean, I think it's why a lot of us, several organizations, almost every organization has put together some long-term, long-lasting plans in their community. I love what the Heat have done, the partnership they're taking with the police force there in Miami, all the initiatives they've taken, how hard they pushed for their arena to be a voting place. I think we all have a responsibility to do that. We all feel like that.

Obviously we've all learned a lot. We all have a lot more to learn. We also have a lot more action that we all have to do. I'm looking forward to that part of it.

You're right, I mean, after the game we're going to talk about who down screened better, who cut better, who made a shot or two. It's not really important in the big picture of life, yeah.

Q. Any players take you up on that text?

BRAD STEVENS: I'll keep that between me and our team.

Q. Robyn Hayward announced the arrival of the baby on Instagram. What conversations have you had with Gordon? How difficult is it that he has to be away right now? It doesn't matter, but how did the ankle come out of everything?

BRAD STEVENS: Yeah, I think his ankle's fine right now. I don't think he's thought about it all afternoon obviously (laughter).

Yeah, the baby arrived. I got word late afternoon. I'll let Gordon an Robyn announce the rest of that. Very, very happy to hear the news. Very happy to hear that she's doing great, et cetera.

Q. We haven't talked to you since Romeo [Langford] had his surgery. Was the timing of that because the abductor strain was going to make it so he couldn't come back anyway?

BRAD STEVENS: It's going to be a long recovery from the wrist surgery. There was quite a bit of talk when it happened, like, do we just do it now?

With Gordon out, the doctors felt like he was good to play, couldn't make it any worse. We also knew if something like the other day happened where he pulled the abductor, he's out four to six weeks anyway, makes no sense to stick around.

He needed to get that done ASAP. It will probably bleed into next season, whenever that starts, his availability, just because of the length of time it takes for that particular operation.

Q. Because of today's ruling with the Breonna Taylor case, was there any talk amongst the guys of whether or not to play tonight?

BRAD STEVENS: I haven't heard anything from any of the guys. I told you what I sent them in a text. Talked to a few people since I've arrived at the gym. I haven't heard that.