Throughout his first season with the Boston Celtics, Kyrie Irving was constantly effusive in his praise of head coach Brad Stevens.

He often refers to him as the most intelligent coach he's ever worked with and although it can be construed as a dig at some of his former coaches, it says more about Stevens and his ability than anything else.

The Celtics dealt with a lot of adversity this year, mainly with injuries as they went into the playoffs without Irving and Gordon Hayward.

But they somehow still managed to reach the Eastern Conference Finals where they agonisingly lost a Game 7 on their home court against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Leadership

Stevens had a lot to do with their success as he wouldn't allow Boston to feel sorry for themselves and quit.

He's proven that he can put a winning team out on the floor regardless of what players he has at his disposal and Kyrie recently lauded the 41-year-old for his ability to adapt and develop players.

In an appearance on The Bill Simmons Podcast, he said: “Brad is one of the most adaptable coaches that I’ve ever been around.

“He’s just highly intelligent about the game and about life. Talking to him is always awesome. I just had dinner with him the other night with his wife and his kids.”

The former Butler coach has also earned a reputation for his in-game adjustments and play-calls, making him one of the smartest in the league.

“Talking basketball with him, it’s just such a relief to have a basketball mind like that and an appreciation of the game,” Irving added.

“He doesn’t forget plays, knows when the shift in the game happens. We were going over things that could of been done differently this season, it was a breath of fresh air talking to him.”

Destined for great things

Stevens is a finalist for the Coach of the Year award and is the favourite to win in the eyes of many.

After just five seasons in charge, he's developed himself as one of the best in the NBA and the Celtics are extremely fortunate to have him.

At the age of 26, Irving is a seasoned player in the league but he's been able to see the game in a different way thanks to Stevens and has discovered ways to improve.

That shows just how talented he is as a coach and there's no doubt that he'll have major success throughout his career.

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