Robert Parish Thinks Brad Stevens Gets Too Much Love: ‘Win Something First’

It seems that everybody around the league has officially noticed what Celtics coach Brad Stevens has accomplished this year.

Down Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving, the 41-year-old Stevens has coached the Celtics to their second straight Eastern Conference Finals appearance, and begins the week with a 1-0 series lead over LeBron James and the Cavaliers. Even if he didn't get a single vote from his peers, it's hard to deny the downright absurd level Stevens has his team playing at right now.

But do not consider Celtics legend Robert Parish to be not among the Bradbots.

“I think he’s getting a little too much praise, but I like what he’s doing," Parish said during an appearance on Sirius XM. "They’re giving him all the love like he’s won three or four championships. Come on now, win something first.

"Granted, don’t get me wrong, he’s a solid coach. I give him that. But with the love he’s getting from the media, you’d think the Celtics have won two or three championships. You would think."

Parish continued to flip flop back and forth between essentially saying that Stevens has done nothing versus saying he's performed beyond expectations this season, and closed his commentary on the Celtic coach with more of the same.

"I’m not saying Brad Stevens should not be getting praise for the job he’s done because I feel like he’s done an outstanding job. I’m just saying with the amount of praise he’s getting, you would think he’s won a championship or two," said Parish.

"They don’t give Steve Kerr that much love, come on.”

Parish would be happy to know that Stevens has repeatedly downplayed any talk of his coaching 'genius,' and did so again when asked about it during Monday's media availability at the C's practice facility in Waltham.

"It's silly. The praise is uncomfortable, and it's just something that these guys should be getting it all," Stevens said. "We all have a role to play, and we all need to play that role as well as we can."