Mazzulla Ball Is Here To Stay: The Celtics Sign Joe Mazzulla To A Multi-Year Extension To Keep Him In Boston For The Foreseeable Future
Patrick Smith. Getty Images.
Now that's what I'm talking about baby!!!
Considering every single thing that has happened this entire offseason has been a direct kick to our collective dicks, it feels great to finally get some good news. Even though Brad Stevens sort of hinted at this when he was asked about Joe at his end-of-season presser, it still feels awesome to see the official announcement. While we don't know the details around the "multi-year" part of this extension, I'm choosing to believe that in reality, Joe signed a lifetime contract in blood.
I'm not even being hyperbolic when I say that Joe Mazzulla could very well be the best Celtics coach of my lifetime not named Brad Stevens. He is The Chosen One. I know that might sound insane, but I'll remind you that through my nearly 4 decades on this planet, this is who I've had to watch lead my favorite basketball coach
Jimmy Rodgers
Chris Ford
ML Carr
Rick Pitino
Jim O'Brien
Doc Rivers
Brad Stevens
Ime Udoka
Joe Mazzulla
Only one man on that list brought this team to the promise land
Jesse D. Garrabrant. Getty Images.
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I do think people lose sight of just how insane this whole Mazzulla Era has been. Named the head coach out of nowhere a few days before training camp opens in 2022-23 because Ime Udoka was a creep, immediately wins 57 games and is a Jayson Tatum turned ankle from completing one of the most insane comebacks in NBA history and making the Finals in Year 1
He then backed that up with one of the greatest seasons in NBA history (fact not opinion), and won the title. The team then backed that up with another 60+ win season, something basically no Celts team had ever done, before unfortunately their injuries and lack of execution came back to bite them in their quest to repeat.
But the point is, you could easily make the case that the Joe Mazzulla Era has been one of the most successful runs in the franchise's history. It's very obvious the players have complete buy in, we know his system works, he's from Rhode Island and has been a lifelong Celtics fan so he's someone who truly understands what it means to be a part of this franchise
and perhaps the biggest thing of all is the fact that Brad Stevens believes in him. What, you're going to suggest Brad doesn't know what he's doing? I'm not sure there's a better stamp of approval a coach could get than being deemed "the guy" by Brad Stevens. That alone should tell you everything you need to know about what type of coach Joe is.
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Is he perfect? No, don't be silly. Everyone can always get better. And while people will cry about 3pt shooting (grow up) and all that shit, it is an objective fact that ever since Joe took over, this team has been a wagon. I guess some people hate winning? That feels weird, but to each their own.
I also reject the idea that I'm sure many will throw out there that his success is all due to his roster. Hey morons, does nobody remember the 2018-19 Celtics team? That roster WAS LOADED with talent and what happened? It was a disaster. Plenty of teams are loaded with elite talent and don't win. I would argue that the way the entire roster has bought in and played so selflessly these last few years is a huge reason for their success. Where does that start? The coach. The culture. If you can't see that, I dunno what to tell you.
Now that we know Joe can handle elite rosters, I'm excited to see how he now handles the 2025-26 roster that is filled with young and unproven NBA talent. With his best player out of the picture and 5 of the top 9 all gone, it will require the Celts to play a completely different style. I find that exciting. While the previous seasons had their own form of pressure considering it was title or bust, this season's pressure is more around development. Some of these young guys have to hit, and Joe is going to play a pretty big role in how that plays out. Now that we know he's here to stay for the foreseeable future and the roster is entering a retooling phase, his ability to mold unproven NBA players into playable rotation players is crucial.
All I know is Mazzulla Ball changed our lives, and it feels great to know it's here to stay.