BOSTON — Joe Mazzulla has never made it a point to build relationships with other head coaches around the NBA. In fact, his goal has been quite the opposite. So, when current Charlotte Hornets head coach and former Boston Celtics assistant Chales Lee went into Boston’s locker room to say hello to some former colleagues earlier this season, Mazzulla wasn’t thrilled.
“I told Charles when he left, like, 'I'm not talking to you during the season. I'm not waving to you at the national anthem. Just not doing that. You're an enemy,'” Mazzulla said back in November. “And so, he came into the locker [room]. Breached NBA rules and came into the assistant coaches' locker room and forced me to give him a hug.
“That could easily be a psychological tell that knocks you off your game competitively. So, he knew what he was doing.”
Joe Mazzulla and JJ Redick have built a great relationship
The mental game is almost as important as the actions being run on the court for Mazzulla. He doesn’t want to be too friendly with the guys who he has to compete against every night. But as is the case with every rule, there are exceptions.
JJ Redick is as close to an exception as can be.
Mazzulla and Redick have a documented history of mutual respect. The Celtics head coach appeared in Redick’s podcast prior to the 2023-24 season, and a relationship blossomed from there. Redick praised Mazzulla on his show, when he was on ESPN’s broadcast, and even alongside LeBron James when they were doing their podcast together.
Jovan Buha of The Athletic even reported that Mazzulla tried to convince Redick to join Boston’s coaching staff multiple times.
The two basketball ‘sickos,’ as Redick has referred to them, have cultivated quite the bond. So, when Redick got an offer to become the head coach of the Lakers, Mazzulla was one of the first people he got on the phone.
“Joe was one of the people that I called the day I was getting an offer from the Lakers,” Mazzulla said pre-game on Saturday night before Celtics vs. Lakers. “I was talking to him that morning. We had a couple text exchanges after that.”
But even past that, despite Mazzulla’s personal rule about mid-season friendships with opponents, some things are just more important.
“Since the season, we've talked once, and that's when my home burned down. He reached out,” Redick said.
For the most part, Redick abides by the same bylaws as Mazzulla. Though he has a few more exceptions to his rule because of the past relationships he cultivated during his career in the NBA.
“I don't talk to a ton of coaches in the season. I certainly am friendly with a lot of them,” Redick said. “We just had two games against Ty Lue. I was his teammate. I played with him with, and I played for him with the Clippers. So, just certain guys, [Jamahl Mosley] and I talk a lot. Will Hardy and I talk a lot. There are certain guys I do keep in touch with during the season.
“It's not always basketball stuff, but I'm grateful, I really am, to have a nice circle of friends that are going through a lot of the same things I go through.”