Brad Stevens has a direct connection to M. Night Shyamalan
As a Philadelphia 76ers superfan, filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan regularly watches games at the Wells Fargo Center from his courtside seat near the visiting team’s bench.
Shyamalan, known for directing critically acclaimed thrillers such as “The Sixth Sense’’ (1999) and “Unbreakable’’ (2000), often will mingle with other celebrities in attendance, from Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz to actor Kevin Hart. He’ll also occasionally chat with opposing coaches and players, among them Celtics coach Brad Stevens.
“I don’t know who said what to who first,’’ Shyamalan said, “but he said, ‘Oh, I’m a fan,’ and I said, ‘Oh, I’m a fan of yours,’ and we started talking.’’
With help from a mutual friend, organizational psychologist and Harvard graduate Adam Grant, Stevens and Shyamalan have since formed a connection over their shared interest in the science of behavior. Before the Celtics’ season opener against the Sixers in October, Stevens, Shyamalan, Grant, and a group of professors at Penn sat down for dinner in downtown Philadelphia to discuss exactly that.
How do you motivate people to reach, or exceed, their potential? How do you inspire them? How can you get people to treat not only you but also their craft with respect? How do we affect one another?
“In many ways, a director and a coach are very similar,’’ Shyamalan said. “You have extremely talented people. How do you get the best performances out of them?’’
Added Stevens: “Anything that we all can do to get a little bit better or think a little bit differently or use the lens of someone else in another industry to help in your own management, I think, is really important.’’
After getting to know Stevens, Shyamalan said, he admires his patience and ability to think about the big picture, especially in a field where unpredictable factors (e.g. injuries) can suddenly make long-term planning appear all for naught.
He expressed high praise for Stevens’s coaching style.
“It’s really about practicing,’’ said Shyamalan. “Are you making that cut even if the play isn’t run for you? Are you coming around that pick with intention? All of those things come from an ethos that the coach has to convey.
“You walk the walk or you don’t. The great coaches do. Off and on the court, they have great conviction. I think Brad’s in that line there.’’
Most of the pair’s correspondence is via e-mail because of their demanding professional schedules. With their clashing allegiances, the two don’t engage in much basketball banter online. During games, however, Shyamalan does his best to support his hometown team.
“It’s devolved into me giving him the exact opposite advice of what he should do so that the Sixers can win,’’ Shyamalan joked. “I’ll be like, ‘Just let Ben Simmons drive the lane, just let him drive the lane, don’t worry,’ or ‘Don’t double-team [Joel] Embiid. You do not need to double-team Embiid. Go tell your players.’ ’’
Careful never to cross the line, Shyamalan acknowledged the importance of remaining respectful, too.
“I don’t know how many times I’ve bit my tongue during the game, not wanting to joke with him or say something to him while he’s concentrating,’’ he said. “Because that’s his job. That would be like him coming on the set and cracking jokes while I’m trying to direct. I’d be like, ‘What are you doing, Brad? Chill out, buddy.’ ’’
Because of work commitments, Shyamalan has yet to visit TD Garden for a Celtics-Sixers game. He’s hopeful, though, that there will be an opportunity during the postseason.
“I think that’s what’s going to happen,’’ he said.
Boston and Philadelphia are jockeying for position in the Eastern Conference, each in reach of the No. 2 seed. The teams met in the 2018 playoffs, when the Celtics won the series, 4-1, to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.
After notching just three regular-season victories over the Celtics in the past three seasons, the Sixers have already secured the regular-season tiebreaker this year, winning the first three matchups.
Their final meeting is Saturday night at TD Garden.
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