FORT MYERS, Fla. -- What does a busy basketball coach do with his free time during NBA All-Star weekend? Why, come watch a little spring training baseball, of course.
Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens made his second visit in as many years to the Red Sox' Fenway South complex here Sunday, standing with Alex Cora, Tony La Russa and Dave Dombrowski to watch some bullpen sessions and batting practice
"For me to be here and watch this and get a chance to spend time and listen to Alex and Tony and Dave, it's an incredible group,'' said Stevens. "I think you get so much more out of talking to people who are in the same line of work but in different sports. You're all dealing with the same things on a day-to-day basis: the challenges of team, the challenge of being the best you can be. These guys are amazing at it.
"You could sense it last year when we were here, that it was just a unique feel and had a special vibe about it and it feels the same this year.''
Just as Stevens is among the youngest coaches in the NBA, so, too is Cora. But learning isn't about age, emphasized Stevens.
"I could sit and listen to Alex Cora give a thesis on coaching and Tony La Russa give a thesis on coaching from two different generations all day long,'' he said. "It's special to get a chance to pick the brains of all of them and it's one of the great benefits of being the Celtics coach, is you get a chance to meet these people and learn a great deal from them. Whether it's these guys or (Bill) Belichick or Bruce (Cassidy) or whoever, we're really blessed to be able to pick the minds of (people) in Boston.
"One thing's very clear — whether it's a five-minute phone conversation or watching batting practice together or standing and talking to those guys before games, you always learn a great deal. In this business, you're always looking for parallels that you can pass onto your team, that you can use as a coach yourself, that you can use to improve. Ultimately, we all want to improve, we all want to get better.''
________________
________________
________________