Joe Mazzulla wasn’t supposed to be an NBA head coach just yet, or at least, not the head coach of a title favorite. But after getting thrust into the head coaching role for the Celtics in 2022 after Ime Udoka went on leave (that became permanent) for an inappropriate workplace relationship, Mazzulla quickly adapted to the role and, in his second season, led the Celtics to their first championship in 16 years.
Mazzulla certainly was put in a tremendous spot to succeed, but also faced plenty of doubts after how his first season went that he was capable of leading the team to a title. As just about everyone with the Celtics has said, including Jayson Tatum to DIME at All-Star weekend, Mazzulla found his footing this year as a true leader, pushing and challenging the Celtics in the ways they needed to finally get over the hump and win a championship. He got the players to buy-in and they embraced his unique style, on and off the court, and ever-serious attitude towards the pursuit of a title.
Every anecdote about Mazzulla creates more fascination with the man in charge of the Celtics, including last year’s revelation that he watches The Town, starring Ben Affleck and Jeremy Renner, a lot. As such, after winning the title and joining Zach Lowe on The Lowe Post podcast, Lowe had to ask Mazzulla what his role would be on a bank robbery crew, and Mazzulla had a very earnest answer.
Favorite part of this (great) pod was Mazzulla 110 percent earnestly answering Zach’s question on how he’d rob a bank. https://t.co/NY6N11KxpW pic.twitter.com/86lNGKWZac
— Steph Noh (@StephNoh) June 20, 2024
“I either wanna plan the whole thing, like attention to detail. Find the people who you know’s personalities and characteristics work for each positioning that you need,” Mazzulla said. “Like, it’s all about the preparation. Once you’re in that moment, you have to rely on your preparation, similar to a game. So I’d like to be the guy that plans it, hires the people and sets it in motion, or the guy that has to have steady hands, control his breathing to execute the safe.”
Mazzulla might be the first coach to compare playing basketball to robbing a bank, and I love that while he’d love to be the mastermind in charge of the whole thing, he’s also a team player and will just crack the safe if need be. I like to imagine Joe sits in his house late at night, practicing controlling his breathing and a steady touch on a safe (like Charlize Theron in The Italian Job), just in case he ever gets the call that he’s needed for one last job.