Stevens: 'Nothing But Great Hospitality' For Celtics In Mexico City
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Boston Celtics are gearing up to play the Sacrament Kings in Mexico City on Thursday night, and it sounds like it's been a great trip for the team since their arrival on Wednesday.
Celtics head coach Brad Stevens joined 98.5 The Sports Hub's Zolak & Bertrand on Thursday to chat about the trip, which included a quick practice and reception Wednesday night before things turned into a "normal game day" Thursday.
Read: Celtics-Kings Preview
Stevens said Mexico City Arena is a beautiful place, and the team hasn't had any logistical issues with the trip. He also hasn't noticed a difference with security, which is always a concern when teams travel overseas.
"I really haven't seen a lot of that to be honest with you. I don't think twice about it. Our people cover all their bases and I know the NBA does too," he said. "Everyone we have met and have been around has been fantastic. Nothing but great hospitality for us in the 20 hours we've been here."
If you're worried about Celtics players getting hit with some intestinal turmoil from drinking the local water on their trip, fret no more.
"Any time we travel abroad, we make strong suggestions to only use bottled water. If nothing more, that's the water you're used to," he said. "That's our plan and that's what we've done. We do that most cities we've been in because, again, the water you're used to is not what you'll see traveling abroad."
Scott Zolak made sure to warn Stevens about eating the ice in Mexico, something Zo learned the hard way. Stevens said they won't be eating any ice, but the team is loving the spreads the NBA has put out for them so far.
"I am loving the food. It's great. The NBA puts out a spread for us three times a day and it's hard to turn down," he said. "It's great for the players because they just burn it off, but not me."
As for how his team is playing, Stevens said things are trending in the right direction after winning three of their last four.
"This has been a good month to be able to assess the team. With our month coming up, by the New Year we'll have a really good idea where we stand, especially if we get healthy and get Marcus [Smart] back in the rotation sometime in the foreseeable future," he said. "Having to play without him and Avery Bradley for half of our 18 games so far has stretched us a bit, especially in the backcourt. I do like where we stand; I'd like us to be a little more consistent in games we haven't given ourselves a chance to win, but I like where we stand.
"If you had told me this is where we stand after that November schedule, I would have felt pretty good about it," Stevens added. "We can get better, and I think getting healthy is a big part of that. But I do feel we've at least done what we needed to do to stay in the race [in the Eastern Conference]."
