Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge has claimed that Brad Stevens will become one of the greatest coaches in the history of the NBA.
The 38-year-old was hired by the Celtics ahead of the 2013-14 season after a successful six-year spell as coach of the Butler Bulldogs in the college game.
Boston struggled in Stevens's first year as coach as they missed the playoffs, but they managed to sneak into the post-season in the last campaign, although they were defeated in the first round by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
However, Ainge is confident that Stevens and the team will continue to improve over time due to his coaching ability.
"I wouldn't have brought him in and given him a six-year contract if I didn't think he was really good and special," Ainge told Comcast SportsNet. "By the way, I'm the first one to see how special he was. It's exciting for me that everyone else is recognising that.
"Brad is one of the smartest coaches in the NBA. He's learning the game still. But he's a tireless worker, he's a great communicator. It's exciting for me that Brad is getting the accolades that he's getting.
"We've always known that about Brad. He's going to have some ups and downs through his coaching career, but, it's my opinion that, in 10 or 20 years from now, we'll be talking about Brad as one of the great coaches to ever coach in the NBA."
Stevens has posted a 65-99 record in his first two seasons with the Celtics.
