\n\t\t\t\t\t\tBrad Stevens built a Boston roster that earned the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference last season, then had to part ways with four members of that roster to escape what could have been a massive luxury tax bill.The result? Boston was No. 2 in the East again \u2014 and remains a legitimate championship hopeful in a season when many likely expected otherwise.It all earned Stevens the NBA’s Executive of the Year award on Monday, his second time winning that trophy in the past three seasons. He’s the 12th two-time winner and the sixth person to win twice within a three-year span.\u201cThese awards are organizational awards, and everyone in this building shares in this recognition,\u201d Stevens said in remarks distributed by the Celtics. \u201cI am just thankful to be there in a support role for our players, coaches and staff. They are truly amazing. There\u2019s nothing I cherish more professionally than getting to be a part of a true TEAM and competing at the highest level, and I am thankful to the Celtics for giving us that opportunity.\u201dStevens got 11 first-place votes from a panel of 30 basketball executives \u2014 one from each of the NBA\u2019s teams \u2014 who ranked their top three choices in order. Stevens appeared on 17 of those 30 ballots, as did Atlanta’s Onsi Saleh, who finished second. Detroit’s Trajan Langdon, who has overseen a massive turnaround with the Pistons, was third for the second consecutive season.Sam Presti of Oklahoma City, last year\u2019s winner, was fifth. San Antonio\u2019s Brian Wright was sixth, Houston\u2019s Rafael Stone seventh, Phoenix\u2019s Brian Gregory eighth, while Cleveland\u2019s Koby Altman and Denver\u2019s Josh Kroenke tied for ninth. Memphis\u2019 Zach Kleiman and the Los Angeles Lakers\u2019 Rob Pelinka tied for 11th.Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said Stevens has been accessible to him since he became one of his assistant coaches in 2019 and it has continued since Mazzulla became coach prior to the 2022-23 season.\u201cI think communication and kind of how we see the game,” Mazzulla said. “We\u2019re in meetings every day talking to each other. Whether it was an argument, whether it was something we agreed on, conversation going back and forth talking to him about things. I think just being around each other every day, how we communicate \u2013- how we can get through wins and losses, playoff series. You just develop, obviously, an understanding with each other that allow you to pull from each other\u2019s experiences.\u201dThe Executive of the Year award is not like most NBA season honors that are voted on by a global panel of 100 writers and broadcasters who cover the league and cast ballots shortly after the end of the regular season.This was the seventh award to be announced by the NBA since the end of the regular season. The others:\u2014 San Antonio\u2019s Victor Wembanyama was the unanimous Defensive Player of the Year.\u2014 Oklahoma City\u2019s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander got 96 of a possible 100 first-place votes to win the Clutch Player of the Year award.\u2014 San Antonio\u2019s Keldon Johnson won Sixth Man of the Year.\u2014 Boston\u2019s Derrick White won the Sportsmanship Award. That award, unlike most others, is selected solely by active NBA players.\u2014 Atlanta\u2019s Nickeil Alexander-Walker won Most Improved Player.\u2014 Dallas’ Cooper Flagg is the Rookie of the Year.Other award announcements yet to be scheduled include Most Valuable Player (either Gilgeous-Alexander, Wembanyama or Denver\u2019s Nikola Jokic) and Coach of the Year (either Detroit\u2019s J.B. Bickerstaff, San Antonio\u2019s Mitch Johnson or Boston\u2019s Mazzulla).The NBA will announce the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year and the Hustle Award winner later this week.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\tBOSTON \u2014 \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Brad Stevens built a Boston roster<\/a> that earned the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference last season, then had to part ways with four members of that roster to escape what could have been a massive luxury tax bill.<\/p>\n The result? Boston was No. 2 in the East again<\/a> \u2014 and remains a legitimate championship hopeful in a season when many likely expected otherwise.<\/p>\n It all earned Stevens the NBA’s Executive of the Year award on Monday, his second time winning that trophy in the past three seasons. He’s the 12th two-time winner and the sixth person to win twice within a three-year span.<\/p>\n \u201cThese awards are organizational awards, and everyone in this building shares in this recognition,\u201d Stevens said in remarks distributed by the Celtics. \u201cI am just thankful to be there in a support role for our players, coaches and staff. They are truly amazing. There\u2019s nothing I cherish more professionally than getting to be a part of a true TEAM and competing at the highest level, and I am thankful to the Celtics for giving us that opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n Stevens got 11 first-place votes from a panel of 30 basketball executives \u2014 one from each of the NBA\u2019s teams<\/a> \u2014 who ranked their top three choices in order. Stevens appeared on 17 of those 30 ballots, as did Atlanta’s Onsi Saleh, who finished second. Detroit’s Trajan Langdon, who has overseen a massive turnaround with the Pistons, was third for the second consecutive season.<\/p>\n Sam Presti of Oklahoma City, last year\u2019s winner, was fifth. San Antonio\u2019s Brian Wright was sixth, Houston\u2019s Rafael Stone seventh, Phoenix\u2019s Brian Gregory eighth, while Cleveland\u2019s Koby Altman and Denver\u2019s Josh Kroenke tied for ninth. Memphis\u2019 Zach Kleiman and the Los Angeles Lakers\u2019 Rob Pelinka tied for 11th.<\/p>\n Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said Stevens has been accessible to him since he became one of his assistant coaches in 2019 and it has continued since Mazzulla became coach prior to the 2022-23 season.<\/p>\n \u201cI think communication and kind of how we see the game,” Mazzulla said. “We\u2019re in meetings every day talking to each other. Whether it was an argument, whether it was something we agreed on, conversation going back and forth talking to him about things. I think just being around each other every day, how we communicate \u2013- how we can get through wins and losses, playoff series. You just develop, obviously, an understanding with each other that allow you to pull from each other\u2019s experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n The Executive of the Year award is not like most NBA season honors that are voted on by a global panel of 100 writers and broadcasters who cover the league and cast ballots shortly after the end of the regular season.<\/p>\n This was the seventh award to be announced by the NBA since the end of the regular season. The others:<\/p>\n \u2014 San Antonio\u2019s Victor Wembanyama was the unanimous Defensive Player of the Year.<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Oklahoma City\u2019s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander got 96 of a possible 100 first-place votes to win the Clutch Player of the Year<\/a> award.<\/p>\n \u2014 San Antonio\u2019s Keldon Johnson won Sixth Man of the Year.<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Boston\u2019s Derrick White won the Sportsmanship Award<\/a>. That award, unlike most others, is selected solely by active NBA players.<\/p>\n \u2014 Atlanta\u2019s Nickeil Alexander-Walker won Most Improved Player.<\/a><\/p>\n