Joe Mazzulla is an interesting character, and the Celtics head coach added to that reputation Friday.
There’s little doubt Mazzulla is one of the top minds in the NBA. The 36-year-old’s knowledge of the game helped command the respect of veterans like Jrue Holiday and Al Horford and also established Boston’s identity.
His personality and dedication to greatness helped the C’s win the championship, and it’s also permeated in sometimes unintentionally hilarious ways. From his reaction to the Prince and Princess of Wales to his “nobody cares” attitude, Mazzulla’s become a quote machine for NBA media and fans.
He didn’t disappoint when he told reporters Friday that he doesn’t make an effort to be friendly to opposing coaches to not give “psychological tells.” He told former Celtics assistant Charles Lee this when he became head coach of the Charlotte Hornets. But the first-year bench boss probably didn’t adhere to the message.
“I told Charles when he left, ‘I’m not talking to you during the season. I’m not waving to you at the national anthem. I’m not doing that. You’re an enemy,'” Mazzulla said, per Zack Cox of the Boston Herald.
“So he breached NBA rules and came into the assistant coach locker room and forced me to give him a hug. That could easily be a psychological tell that knocks you off your game competitively. So he knew what he was doing.”
Mazzulla bluntly said it was not nice to hug his former assistant, which seemed to add to what was a contentious encounter with the Charlotte Hornets. That weekend also was when Grant Williams took a cheap shot at Jayson Tatum and seemingly fractured his relationship with his former teammates.
If you think Mazzulla was joking about his reunion with Lee, it’s possible, but you probably haven’t been paying attention to his media appearances. Mazzulla isn’t often an intentional jokester to the point where he told Marc Bertrand and Scott Zolak he wouldn’t go on their show if their sons matched up against each other in the MIAA Super Bowl — something that couldn’t happen because they’re in different divisions.
Mazzulla’s a wild character, but fans are glad he’s coaching the Celtics and not using his methodology against them.
