Tag: James Posey

Champion Celtics forward, NBA assistant James Posey very happy with Udoka hire

Champion forward and former NBA assistant coach James Posey celebrated the hiring of Udoka as head coach of his former team.

Champion Boston Celtics forward James Posey spilled some ink recently on the hiring of Ime Udoka to the top job of the team he won one of his two titles with in 2008, lauding his peer in the coaching ranks but also supportive of the hire on a more personal level.

Posey, who went into coaching himself after hanging up his jersey as a player, had some heartfelt words to share on the hire given the glass ceiling he believes still exists in the NBA for players of color. Writing for BasketballNews.com, the former Celtic swingman characterized the Udoka hire as a positive development for the league.

“The NBA still has a long, long way to go as it relates to opportunities being given to Black head coaches,” he began, “but one thing I can say is that, at least with respect to Brad Stevens and the Boston Celtics, we’ve taken a step in the right direction.”

Ex-Boston wing James Posey hopes to join Cs alum Ty Lue as assistant

Former Boston Celtics forward James Posey has expressed interest in serving as an assistant for fellow Boston alum Ty Lue.

The Boston Celtics alumni coaching tree continues to grow as several former Celtics are tied to current coaching vacancies and former Boston head coach relocates to head the Philadelphia 76ers.

Former guards Chauncey Billups and Sam Cassell have been touted as potential head coaching gigs, and ex-Celtic assistant coach Tyronn Lue has been in the mix for several openings.

Boston champion small forward James Posey wouldn’t mind joining Lue for the ride as well according to Heavy.com’s Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson, who spoke with Posey on a recent Zoom call.

“I want to be a head coach someday,” the former Celtic forward explained.

The Xavier product — who won a title with the Celtics in 2008 — has been an assistant at the G League level with the Canton Charge and in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers, so Posey has the relevant experience.

“Hopefully things do work out with T-Lue and he gets a head coaching job that’s out there,” he added.

“As far as his staff is concerned, I hope that I’m able to join his staff. But looking at some of the situations that’s going on, sometimes it’s not up to the head coaches anymore. Some of the GMs are picking assistants. So hopefully if things work out and he’s able to get a head coaching job, yes; I would like to join him.”

We’ve also heard Celtics title teammate and recent second-time champion Rajon Rondo might also want to join the coaching ranks once his playing career — now in its twilight — ends.

As we have seen from the dispersal of another generation of Celtics champions into front office roles with Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Danny Ainge stepping into such positions, Boston’s players have done well transitioning into such positions over the years.

With Posey’s well-known leadership skills and work ethic, we have no reason to doubt that would change.

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For Steve Nash’s sake, James Posey hopes Kyrie Irving ‘learned some things’ since time with Cavs

James Posey thinks Kyrie Irving is the NBA’s most talented point guard, but he also thinks the Nets star used to be too much about himself.

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Among the multiple topics Kyrie Irving touched on in the first episode of “The ETCs with Kevin Durant,” was how a narrative from early in a player’s career can stick with them.

“I’ve been in front of the cameras,” Irving said.” “You can watch a lot of the past history of videos whether it be part of the brand partnerships I’ve had or even some of the mistakes I’ve made in my life publicly or the media following every single word or hanging on every single word and it becomes the narrative or picture of me. I never want to go out and fight against a system such as that, that doesn’t serve me internally.”

One of the things those in and around the NBA have criticized Irving for is his time with the Cavaliers, though that subject hadn’t popped up in a while — until James Posey hit on it while evaluating Steve Nash as Brooklyn’s head coach for BasketballNews.com:

Kyrie was still in his early-20s when I coached him in Cleveland, so hopefully he’s matured a bit. I hope he sees the game differently. Back then, he was a young man who didn’t understand the full scope of things. He was more about “me, me, me” than “us, us, us.” For Kyrie, he just needed to mature a bit and understand the bigger picture when it comes to the game of basketball — where it’s all about winning and leading his teammates. Kyrie’s leadership has been questioned, but he has an opportunity to silence those critics by stepping up as a leader in Brooklyn and having a great relationship with Nash.

To me, Kyrie is the most talented point guard in the league. I think he’ll continue to get better when it comes to understanding the position, but talent-wise, I’m taking Kyrie over anyone. I just hope he puts it all together as a leader and teammate too. If he does that, whew!

Posey explained further how important it is for Nash to develop a strong relationship and “that trust factor” with Irving, adding:

Kyrie is a great kid and he’s worked really hard to be seen as a top player and get that respect from other players. Hopefully, he’s learned some things since I coached him and he’s able to get on the same page as Nash playing-wise and communication-wise. It’s pretty common for players to be focused on showcasing their talent and becoming a star early in their career; then, as they get older, their attention shifts to winning championships and being more team-oriented.

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