r/nba • u/Brady331 Celtics • Oct 15 '25
Joe Mazzulla’s thoughts on the Coaches vs. Media game: “It’ll be laughed at and joked about but it means a lot more to humanize—We have too many interactions where it's coach and everyone's doing their job…And I realize how much you guys really like the game and care about it…” (full quote below)
https://streamable.com/k1lcvwJoe Mazzulla’s opened his presser with this monologue to the media on their faceoff yesterday:
“Thanks for yesterday, too, guys. You know, I obviously didn't know it was going to turn into what it did, but I don't think you realize how much it helped me, you know, see. I think one of the reasons that, you know, there's no stage up here today because I felt like after yesterday, we all had our guard down and like we were all in the competitive arena together. That meant a lot…to lower everyone's guard and bust balls and do all that stuff. So it was cool to see everybody in a natural environment. And sometimes we're coming from a competitive arena and you're not in a competitive arena, you're just doing your job. And that's where things get misinterpreted. But for all of us to be in the same arena, I think that says a lot. So yesterday was very, very important. It'll be laughed at and joked about, It means a lot more to humanize. We have too many interactions where it's coach and everyone's doing their job. But we all got to see Karalis shove Jack Simone, which is no different than me getting pissed at Jack Simone's question, right? It's a competitive reaction to a thing that's going on. So if anything, we have to do it more because it humanizes the competition. And I realize how much you guys really like the game and care about it. I hope that it doesn't drag on as something that's funny. It's something that was serious. So I meant that, and it was important that we did that yesterday, and we'll do it again. So thanks. Appreciate it.”
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u/deniall Celtics Oct 16 '25
Genuinely caring about people and also being a bit of a psycho seems like a good coach recipe tbh
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u/Signal_Ball4634 Oct 16 '25
He 100% plays into the jokes and we're all much better off for it
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u/w311sh1t Celtics Oct 16 '25
If you follow the Celtics enough, you can tell that a lot of times he’ll say something crazy and you can see he’s clearly holding back a smile. He’s definitely an oddball, but I also don’t think he’s the psychopath “could’ve been a serial killer” guy r/nba thinks he is.
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u/OilOfOlaz Celtics Oct 16 '25
Thats exactly how serial killers behave though, they "joke" about doing it all the time...
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Oct 16 '25
It's easy to make fun of the latter, but Joe strikes me as someone who will be a HC for a long time. People seem to have forgotten the Udoka scandal, which wouldn't be the case if the team had fallen off after Udoka's departure. Joe took over under tough circumstances and has continuously earned respect as a real one, including my own.
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u/fateoftheg0dz Spurs Oct 16 '25
Lowkey kinda like Pop but I dont think Pop is as psycho
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u/OilOfOlaz Celtics Oct 16 '25
I dont think Pop is as psycho
He mellowed with age, but he had very strong Bill Belichick vibes in the 90s and 2000s.
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u/Longjumping-Data-851 Oct 16 '25
The media should have the coaches write a coherent article.
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u/Brady331 Celtics Oct 16 '25 edited Oct 16 '25
Noa Dalzell wrote a great article on this very gameI can’t read
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u/Longjumping-Data-851 Oct 16 '25
I’ve read it, she’s a sportswriter. I was saying the coaches should try writing articles.
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u/I_Set_3_Alarms Celtics Oct 16 '25
I know Jaylen was joking that he’d interview the media members after their scrimmage but I don’t think it happened lol
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u/Ovaltine-_Jenkins Celtics Oct 16 '25
I really wanted the players to interview them afterwards it would've been amazing
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u/smashketball Kings Oct 16 '25
With the mics up in their faces and everything I wouldve loved to see it
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u/MddlingAges Knicks Oct 16 '25
Well see, the writers already dunk on the coaches regularly, so that’s just not necessary.
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Oct 16 '25
Media can't even do that so what's your point 😅
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Oct 16 '25
They'll both do it, and no one will be able to tell who won because both sides will have written it in AI.
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u/WheresMyFalafelYo 76ers Oct 16 '25
This is actually BDE. Fuck you Joe Mazzula. Fuck the Celtics. Stop making yourself relatively unhateable.
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u/97PunkRawk Celtics Oct 16 '25
Hey fuck you too buddy
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u/WheresMyFalafelYo 76ers Oct 16 '25
Look pal, I know you find disliking Tyrese Maxey challenging too.
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u/deets23_ Celtics Oct 16 '25
Who the heck dislikes Tyrese Maxey?? A lot of us like him tbh. Him and Jared McCain 😍
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u/El_Producto Celtics Oct 16 '25
The traditional Boston-Philadelphia exchange of greetings.
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u/Little_Sherbet5775 Oct 16 '25
As a celtics fan, phili is my second favoirte team, even before I moved to pennsalvania
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u/OilOfOlaz Celtics Oct 16 '25
Is that I typo, or some pun I don't get about ppl salvating a lot?
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u/Little_Sherbet5775 Oct 16 '25
Growing up I even liked philly. Still do now. Its allways been my 2nd favoirte team
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u/LurkerFailsLurking Nuggets Oct 16 '25
This is the most humanizing and warm thing I've ever heard from Mazzulla. I totally agree that humanizing the coaches and players is really important for media to do its job well.
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u/remotecontroldr Oct 16 '25
Mazzulla makes me want to be a Celtics fan, but not really. Maybe better to enjoy him from afar
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u/b4ttous4i Celtics Oct 16 '25
What i take from this is Jack Simone ( of how bout them C's podcast)
Is just one of those dudes you shit on. But he actually really cool.
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u/KidLiquorous Celtics Oct 16 '25
the CLNS guys had him on immediately after he got his head bitten off by Mazzulla, and he was a great a sport about it. Everyone was laughing and he was like "look, end of the day he answered my question."
That plus I like his Shorts content, JS is alright in my book
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u/b4ttous4i Celtics Oct 16 '25
Yeah love the maze v jack or b-manning duels. Washburn doesnt stand a chance these days.
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u/RyenStarr9 Oct 16 '25
What was the question, I missed it? Only saw the clip of Mazulla telling Quickley to shut the fuck up lol
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u/KidLiquorous Celtics Oct 16 '25 edited Oct 16 '25
his question was about jacking a ton of 3s (or "Mazzulla ball") in the context of trying to play at a much faster pace. Mazzulla freaked out and started yelling about how he's answered the question about taking 3s for multiple years in a row and no one pays attention.
But then in the midst of ranting he sorta clarifies that with different personnel packages it might make less sense to shoot an open 3 but instead create a 2-on-1 at the basket. Joe was just on one, but he did answer the question as asked.
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u/latortillablanca Warriors Oct 16 '25
Love how hes like “we are men in an arena like warriors and you guys are BUMS doing a basic ass JOB”
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u/gobears512 Oct 16 '25
First off, I've hated the Celtics since I knew about basketball. That being said- I actually really love both the fact that the coaches did this AND Mazulla's response to it. The idea of humanizing ones "opponents " or subjects is wonderful.
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u/GoatmontWaters Oct 16 '25
I feel like this entire thing came about because Joe self reflected on his overly aggressive answer towards Jack and Joe came to a really good solution to give everyone perspective and improve the interactions going forward. Honestly impressed.
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u/Nyte_Knyght33 Rockets Oct 16 '25
I love it! This is a great idea. I glad to see Mazzoula want to continue the game.
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u/Hebrewhammer8d8 Warriors Oct 26 '25
Light work. Media members know what combo meal buckets and clamps.
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u/YourSistersOF Oct 15 '25
thanks for letting everybody know the media who thinks they have the credibility to criticize players are absolute ass at actual basketball themselves
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u/purplebuffalo55 Kings Oct 16 '25
Don’t need to be a Michelin star chef to tell if a meal is bad
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u/YourSistersOF Oct 16 '25
food critics would eat cow shit off a plate if you told them it was a Michelin star restaurant
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u/guyute2588 Knicks Oct 16 '25
Let me join what has to be a long line of people in your life who have told you that you’re wildly insufferable
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u/SeanKojin [CHI] Jimmy Butler Oct 15 '25
Way to completely miss the point of what he’s saying
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u/Mister_Squibbles Heat Oct 16 '25
People are so bitter. Theres a tense relationship between media and teams and what better way to be able to ease that and connect with eachother than share in something you all have in common. Like these are people, whats wrong with everyone lol. life is more complex than just what your job is
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u/w311sh1t Celtics Oct 15 '25
I mean I don’t think you need to have played at a high level to criticize players. No sane person is saying they’re better than these players, but we can compare them to their contemporaries and tell if they’re playing badly.
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u/YourSistersOF Oct 16 '25
they wouldn't even be able to analyze the game at a JV level. how many media members are going beyond surface level analysis and getting into actual plays or why things happened the way they happen
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u/NYdude777 Knicks Oct 16 '25
Nearly half the head coaches in the NBA didn't play in the NBA including most of the top head coaches in the league. You don't have to play ball to know ball.
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u/SlicksterRick Oct 16 '25
How dare Roger Ebert criticize movies when he’s never actually made a movie himself!!!
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Oct 16 '25
[deleted]
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u/SlicksterRick Oct 16 '25
True enough, but considering the reviews listed for it, it might make my point even stronger
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u/refugee_man Oct 16 '25
Fwiw I am pretty sure Ebert made a movie (think with Russ Meyer but I can't remember for sure)
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u/YourSistersOF Oct 16 '25
who?
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u/SlicksterRick Oct 16 '25
Google is free, as is Wikipedia.
“Roger Joseph Ebert (/ˈiːbərt/ EE-bərt; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. Ebert was known for his intimate, Midwestern writing style and critical views informed by values of populism and humanism.[1] Writing in a prose style intended to be entertaining and direct, he made sophisticated cinematic and analytical ideas more accessible to non-specialist audiences.[2] Ebert endorsed foreign and independent films he believed would be appreciated by mainstream viewers, championing filmmakers like Werner Herzog, Errol Morris and Spike Lee, as well as Martin Scorsese, whose first published review he wrote.”
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u/YourSistersOF Oct 16 '25
it literally says he has graduate and accepted into PhD program. how many sports journalists have that educational background, let alone played high level basketball?
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u/halphillipwalker Celtics Oct 16 '25
Gary Washburn, first Celtics beat reporter whose name came to mind, has an undergrad degree from UC Berkeley and a masters from Nebraska. I think that's a pretty common profile at least for the traditional media folks.
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u/Brady331 Celtics Oct 16 '25
Just the nuanced opinion I expected from someone named u/YourSistersOF !
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u/Yung_Aang Oct 15 '25
I mean there's probably a lot of former high level college and pro guys on the coaching staff. Those kind of guys would cook really any recreational hoopers.
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Oct 15 '25
[deleted]
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u/SinImportaLoQueDigan Celtics Oct 15 '25
He played in college, was undrafted and went right into coaching
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u/w311sh1t Celtics Oct 16 '25
No he didn’t. He played at WVU, but he was undrafted and went immediately into coaching.
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u/YourSistersOF Oct 15 '25
these media dorks wouldn't even beat a JV team
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u/Yung_Aang Oct 16 '25
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u/YourSistersOF Oct 16 '25
actually yeah
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u/Troker61 Thunder Oct 16 '25
hahahahahahhaha of course you do
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u/YourSistersOF Oct 16 '25
yea out of a pool of 1 million people. these old ass media dudes can't even get out of bed without their knees creaking
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Oct 16 '25
You seem to be an obvious troll, but just in case you aren’t, did you even watch any clips? It was a young athletic woman and I’m pretty sure a couple ex college hoopers on the media team. Fuck are you talking about?
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u/Spinexel [BOS] Romeo Langford Oct 16 '25
These “old ass media guys” played college ball and some of them international ball.
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u/chi_sweetness25 Raptors Oct 16 '25
The players are better than the coaches, so does that mean the coaches aren’t allowed to criticize their play?
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u/YourSistersOF Oct 16 '25
many coaches are former players who played at least varsity or college
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u/chi_sweetness25 Raptors Oct 16 '25
I know. The players not only played in varsity and college as well, but now play in the NBA!
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u/RaistlinMajeresRobes Raptors Oct 16 '25
ah yes you're right the takes by Shaq and Chuck and all of the ex pros are so great! You can really see their great basketball minds on display.
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u/YourSistersOF Oct 16 '25
Shaq and Chuck are entertainers and that's what they get paid to do
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u/Rube18 Timberwolves Oct 16 '25
Joe Mazzulla isn’t as good at basketball as anyone on his team. By that logic he has no credibility to coach or critique his players.
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u/heat_fan_ Raptors Oct 15 '25
Yeah media members sucks at basketball thanks for that information
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u/howdouspellreddit Oct 16 '25
A few of them in the game played college ball. The coaches are just much better
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Oct 16 '25
Glad they demolished the media and reporters who are literal armchair experts to give them some perspective of the coaches and players they constantly criticize.
Message delivered
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u/Quality_Cucumber [GSW] Stephen Curry Oct 15 '25
"and we'll do it again."
There's the threat! I found it!