Joe Mazzulla and JJ Redick are facing off as head coaches at TD Garden on Saturday, but the two very well could have been working together on the night. The Athletic’s Jovan Buha revealed that Mazzulla had twice tried to recruit Redick to join the Boston Celtics‘ coaching staff, but the offer was rejected on both occasions.
Mazzulla first approached Redick to be his assistant on the Celtics on Sept. 26, 2022, just days after he was announced as interim head coach. A compelling pitch was made, but Redick decided he wanted to focus on his media career and turned down the offer. He knew he wanted to coach at some point but wasn’t sure when.
Then, in March 2023, Mazzulla saw Damon Stoudamire, his top assistant, leave the Celtics to become the head coach at Georgia Tech. That left a big void to fill, so he reached out to Redick once again. The answer was no, once again, though.
“We had a couple talks about it,” Mazzulla said. “Definitely was interested in it. But I don’t know as far as where he was in that process. But you learn from each other. He’s an analytical mind, he thinks the game, thinks on his feet. He’s definitely someone you can learn from.”
While Redick’s rejections were a blow to Mazzulla, it didn’t have any impact on their relationship. The two remained good friends, with the latter even showing up on the former’s podcast in October 2023.
So good was the relationship that Redick even consulted Mazzulla when the Los Angeles Lakers reached out to him for the head coaching job.
“When I was going through this process, he, along with a few other coaches in the NBA, were really helpful,” Redick said. “Not just in preparing for an interview, but just really helping me understand what this was and what it required.”
All that advice could well have played a significant role in Redick getting the job. Many questioned the Lakers’ decision to hire him, just like how it was with Mazzulla and the Celtics. Both men have now proved that their teams made the right call.
Mazzulla led the Celtics to the 2024 NBA title and has them in a good position to repeat. They come into this clash against the Lakers with an impressive 45-18 record and are looking to extend their three-game winning streak.
Redick, meanwhile, has the Lakers currently on an eight-game winning streak, and going back a bit further, they have won 18 of their last 21 games. One of those wins came over Mazzulla’s Celtics on Jan. 23, and he would be keen to get another win against his good friend.
Redick knows it won’t be an easy task, though, and he had some high praise for Mazzulla in his pregame press conference before the rematch.
“Joe is one of the best,” Redick said. “I have the utmost respect for him as a coach and as a competitor.”
Mazzulla is indeed one of the best, and Redick is starting to make a case for him to be seen in the same light, too. The 40-year-old has put to bed any and all doubts about his coaching abilities in some style.
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