{
  "id": 8744599,
  "title": "Kara Lawson on overcoming assumptions in time coaching with Boston Celtics",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/kara-lawson-on-overcoming-assumptions-in-time-coaching-with-boston",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-20T18:40:28.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/kara-lawson-overcoming-assumptions-time-184028479.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Boston Celtics head coach Kara Lawson recounted instances where her gender as a woman in an assistant coaching role with the team created obstacles for her during her time with the NBA franchise. Although she was one of only a few women in such positions in the league and the first for the Celtics, Lawson was determined not to allow such assumptions to hinder her progress. However, there were moments when her identity as a woman led to challenges in her line of work.\n\nOne such situation occurred during away games when event security, unaware of her role, would stop her from entering the court. Lawson explained that she was not provided with a credential, unlike her male counterparts, which led to her being denied access to the court. This issue was particularly prevalent when she was walking alongside another assistant coach who was a male and did not face the same issue.\n\nThe security personnel would ask for her credential, and when she clarified that she did not have one, they would refuse her entry. Lawson recounted an incident where another assistant coach intervened, calling her a coach, but the security personnel still would not let her on the court. It was only after a supervisor intervened that she was eventually allowed to join the bench.\n\nThese difficulties were more frequent in away arenas, where the security staff was less familiar with Lawson and her role. However, at home games in Boston, the security and ushers were familiar with her, making the experience much smoother.",
  "summary": "Lawson worked hard to keep her status as a female coach from being a distraction. But not everyone helped with that mission, unfortunately.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Celtics news: Why Brian Windhorst is still high on Boston even after Jaylen Brown trade",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/19/celtics-news-why-brian-windhorst-is-still-high-on-boston-even-after",
        "published": "2026-09-19T15:40:23.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}