Brad Stevens Says Celtics 'Always Knew' How Great Joe Mazzulla Would Be

Sam LaFrance | Aug 11, 2024

Jun 17, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla holds up the trophy as he celebrates after winning the 2024 NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports / Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

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Joe Mazzulla was the man steering the Boston Celtics' star-studded ship all season long. The head coach was responsible for managing a talented group of players in a way that would maximize their potential as a unit.

If the championship parade wasn't an indicator enough, Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens feels that Mazzulla did an excellent job -- especially after a rocky finish to his rookie season as coach.

"I said how happy I was for Jayson and Al and Jaylen, but I was really happy for Joe," Stevens told Adam Himmelsbach of "The Boston Globe." "He did a great job in year one under really tough circumstances. Then he came back and prepared exceptionally well and really had an unbelievable year and always recognized the whole time how fortunate we were to have the team we had."

The Rhode Island native's consistency, commitment to excellence, and humility all played a key role in achieving Boston's ultimate goal of winning Banner 18. Mazzulla continuously harped on maintaining a winning mindset, no matter what the situation was. He didn't want his players to get too high on the highs or too low on the lows, instead he wanted them to always look for lessons to take away in order to improve.

"His leadership all the way throughout and the way he managed each part of the season, and the way we peaked in the playoffs, was really encouraging," Stevens added. "Winning all those close games in the Indiana series, I just thought there were a lot of good things. It was cool to see that. It’s a reminder I think of how good he’s always been, and we knew that."

Throughout the majority of the championship season, many fans and media members were quick to point the finger at Mazzulla when things weren't going perfectly. To this day, there's a small contingent of the Celtics fan base that believes the team won in spite of him.

When Boston went crashing out of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals against the eighth seed Miami Heat, many were calling for Mazzulla to be fired. Instead, Stevens stuck with the 36-year-old.

"[The criticism] was more intense than it should have been on him the year before, and that’s one of the reasons I am happy for him, because he didn’t deserve that the year before. And to his credit, I think he’s been super humble about this achievement, because that’s necessary, too. He has to handle this right, because people are going to follow his lead."

Celtics guard Derrick White shared an anecdote about Mazzulla's humility this spring, after Boston's man in charge was named the NBA's Coach of the Month for March. White explained that he had congratulated the coach on his recognition and was then met by a simple "nobody cares."

Mazzulla's players gushed over him during the build-up to Banner 18, constantly pointing to him as the one helping the Green Machine run.

After reaching the mountain top so early into his coaching career, Mazzulla has an opportunity to build quite the legacy for himself... not that he would even care.

Further Reading

Jayson Tatum Joins Michael Jordan, LeBron James on Historic List After Winning Gold

Jrue Holiday Makes History in Team USA's Gold Medal Win

Here's How Celtics Trio Fared in Gold Medal Game vs. France

Fenway Sports Group Considering Buying the Celtics

A Win is a Win, but Benching Jayson Tatum vs. Serbia a Stubborn Mistake

Here's What to Know about Jaylen Brown's Boston XChange

Jayson Tatum Gets Candid about Relationship with Jaylen Brown

Jaylen Brown 'Wasn't Surprised' by Olympic Snub: 'All the Motivation in the World'

Celtics Rookie Anton Watson Shares Brad Stevens' Message to Him

Celtics' Coaching Staff Changes Match Theme of Boston's Offseason

Al Horford, Raising Cane's, and a Region that Loves Him