Joe Mazzulla isn't anybody's boss, according to him: 'It's not how we operate'

In most professional settings, the boss typically doesn’t go hang out with their employees in non-work settings. Take the early episode of The Office for example. Jim hosts a barbecue and invites his coworkers, but omits his boss, Michael, to remove any weird power dynamics from what he hopes to be a fun night.

“I just think that if he were there, people wouldn’t be able to relax and have fun.”

Michael, being the character that he is, gets wind of the get-together and shows up uninvited, making for an awkward encounter.

That’s not how things work with the Boston Celtics.

Less than 24 hours after a disappointing loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Celtics' head coach Joe Mazzulla and Derrick White headed to TD Garden together and spent an off night at WWE Monday Night Raw. A clip of the two being shown ringside went viral online, after Mazzulla jokingly put White in a headlock and attacked his starting guard.

“It's all part of the storyline,” White joked with reporters at the Auerbach Center on Tuesday. “WrestleMania is coming up soon, so that's when our big, big fight will be.”

There are no bosses in Boston

Not your typical boss-employee dynamic, right?

Well, that’s by design.

“I don’t consider myself a boss, and I don't consider Derrick an employee with all due respect,” Mazzulla explained at Tuesday’s practice. “I think it's not how we operate, you know?”

According to Mazzulla, the Celtics operate as one. As a family. Everyone from the players, coaches, front office, staff, and beyond are a part of it.

“I think it's more about just just relationships and the people that you have,” he added. “I just don't look at it [as boss and employee]. And I don't consider myself in that situation. It was more, you know, we're in this together, an organization, and my family's a part of that organization. Other coaches, you know, assistant coaches, are part of that family, and anytime we could do stuff together, I think it's important to try and do that. So it was more about that.”

Bonding is one of the Celtics' greatest assets

The family dynamic has run strong through the Celtics organization during Mazzulla’s tenure. It’s not uncommon for players to have kids or other family with them at the practice facility, at games, or on road trips. That comfort level brings those within the organization closer together.

“I think just spending time off the court and like, his family was there, my family's there, so bonding,” White said. “I think that just goes deeper than basketball. So it's always good to do things like that.”

Bonding plays an important role in Boston’s winning equation. The stronger the bond, the easier it is to handle the ebbs and flows of the association’s long, 82-game season

“We have ups and downs, and you just have to have that bond on and off the court that allows them to coach you hard, allows you to listen, to learn, to grow. And so I think Joe does a good job of finding that balance.”

Mazzulla, at 37 years old, is much closer in age to his players than most coaches. The smaller gap is unique and makes it easier to bond than in college, where many coaches are more like father figures to players as they continue to navigate their early adult years.

“We're all adults here,” White said of the difference between the player-coach dynamic in college vs. in the NBA. “I feel like college, I guess you're kind of adult, but you're still figuring things out. I think that's a big difference from college. Then to spend so much time together here we basically see them every day.”

The good news for Celtics fans, beyond the great coach-player chemistry, is that White sounded like he’s good to go for Wednesday's matchup vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder despite Mazzulla’s brutal ringside attack on him.