Celts’ Brad Stevens thinks racial justice more than a saying a slogan

Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens thinks racial justice is more than just saying “Black Lives Matter.”

Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens understands a commitment to racial justice is about more than a slogan.

And that’s not to say that the NBA’s recent adoption of a plan to place the slogan “Black Lives Matter” on the courts of the Disney-hosted restart along with racial justice slogans in place of player names on jerseys in the wake of the protests arising from the killing of George Floyd in May aren’t important.

They absolutely are — but alone they are not enough.

This very point was raised by Stevens in a recent interview with team reporter Amanda Pflugrad.

The two were discussing the internal response of Celtics players during the hiatus that saw Jaylen Brown drive 15 hours to Atlanta to lead peaceful protests in his home state of Atlanta and Marcus Smart and Enes Kanter participate in Boston-area demonstrations.

“First and foremost, I said early on, the visual of George Floyd’s murder on top of the Brianna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery … is really disgusting,” began the Celtics coach. “It was terrible.”

“I was proud of the way that our whole organization has reacted and continued to react, but our players certainly led the charge in every which way. And it’s one of the things we’ve talked about in all of our meetings since is that we want to be a part of … long lasting, sustainable change, and we’ve had some really tremendous discussions.”

To be sure, that a major U.S. professional sport is opening up the league to such historic messaging is critically important. But without concrete actions following up the gesture, and it will remain just that.

But the team already has projects in the works to combat such a potential outcome.

“We’re working on some projects with a couple of our investors on our team that are putting a lot of time and energy into … reallocating both our energy and our resources within our Shamrock Foundation in our team to really focus in on some different areas that we can help with.”

For Stevens, the messaging, while important, is only one component necessary for such pro-racial justice campaigns to effect lasting change.

“I think one of the things, Amanda that sometimes you just you just have to be reminded of… is that you do have a responsibility to be to use your voice … to be active … to make sure that it’s not just saying Black Lives Matter once twice or however many times. It’s making sure that we do everything we can to make sure that we’re playing our part for our community, playing our part for the NBA, playing our part for each other.”

While the city of Boston has earned its tough reputation with race over the decades, the franchise has long been leaders in the fight within the NBA for racial justice.

To hear such support coming from the top of the coaching staff and the front office and ownership group as much as from the players is heartening.

Even if much work remains to be done both in a majority Black league with few Black people in positions of real power as we see in society more generally.

“So, we will continue to do [play our part], but players have been incredible, and certainly the leaders of the charge,” closed Stevens.

[lawrence-related id=37980,37969,37959,37950]