One of the Boston Celtics most exciting offseason signings won’t even suit up for the team this season (or, at least we’re pretty sure he won’t); fan favorite wing Evan Turner is returning to the team in a new role: assistant coach.
Turner earned his first (and only) big contract playing for head coach Brad Stevens when he was still new to the team, the fallen prospect looking to re-establish his reputation as an elite player under the recently-hired Stevens. The partnership worked out for both, with the former Butler head earning a reputation for boosting the profile of players under his watch, and Turner getting a four-year, $70 million deal from the Portland Trail Blazers in 2016.
Shams: former Celtic Evan Turner to join Boston as an assistant coach https://t.co/L4hqZ0H55q
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) November 30, 2020
The Ohio State product made a surprise appearance at Monday’s post-´practice media availability session, where he described how the new role came into being for him.
“I was weighing the pros and cons of playing,” explained Turner.
“I had a couple options, nothing really solid, in a sense, and also always wanted to have an opportunity to coach and try to figure out if I want to do front office [roles] or something like that. When the Celtics came with the opportunity, I thought that was the best situation for me. It’s just a super-duper internship in a city … I love. To learn under Brad [Stevens], that was just a no-brainer honestly, and I jumped on it and I took it.”
“I just started our work about a week ago, and it’s gone pretty well,” he added.
Evan Turner on finding a truck in his pool: 'I've never been taught truck in a pool etiquette' https://t.co/fAHNRSYY4n via @thecelticswire
— Nick Gelso (@CLNS_Nick) February 6, 2018
Always a postgame interview favorite, Turner — who stepped into the role vacated by former assistant coach Kara Lawson after she was hired to be the next head coach of the Duke Women’s basketball program — figures to be a popular presence with the players and media alike.
His congenial personality and recent experience in the league make the 10-year veteran a sought-after interlocutor for the wisdom he can impart to younger players as much as the gems he offers up in a scrum.
