Kara Lawson addresses Celtics head coaching candidacy originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Kara Lawson’s name has been mentioned as a potential Brad Stevens replacement, and it isn’t difficult to see why.
Lawson spent the 2019-20 season as an assistant coach for Boston and received rave reviews from players and staff. The former WNBA star was hired as the head coach of the Duke women’s basketball team during the summer of 2020.
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When it was announced Stevens will replace Danny Ainge as the Celtics’ president of basketball operations, NBC Sports Boston’s Brian Scalabrine named Lawson as the perfect fit for the head coaching job. But what does Lawson think about all of this speculation?
“I’ve done really well in my career by focusing on myself in the moment,” Lawson said during a recent Bleacher Report AMA. “I loved my time in Boston. I loved coaching those players. It was a special time in my life. The speculation, you can chase a lot of rabbits down a lot of holes.”
While she didn’t shut down the rumors, Lawson seems content with her current role at Duke. She also has unfinished business with the Blue Devils, who cut their 2020-21 season short after four games due to COVID-19 concerns.
Still, there’s no denying the connection Lawson had with Celtics players. She touched on her experience coaching C’s stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
“JT and JB are incredible young men,” Lawson answered during the AMA. “Just solid all around with their approach, with their professionalism. Just as good as it gets. They’re pretty easy to relate to. They work on their game constantly. They just keep growing. Their trajectory hasn’t slowed down yet. It was really fun watching them this season as they both got to the All-Star status.”
Lawson is one of several rumored candidates to take Stevens’ place as the next Celtics head coach. Becky Hammon, Chauncey Billups, and Sam Cassell are among the many names drawing speculation.