The Boston Celtics have named Joe Mazzulla as their full time head coach.
Mazzulla was considered as the Celtics’ interim head coach all season long, after filling in for Ime Udoka, who was let go by Boston before the season started after having an inappropriate relationship with a female staffer, ESPN noted.
As of Thursday, Mazzulla is the 19th head coach in Celtics history.
Joe Mazzulla is officially the 19th Head Coach in franchise history ?????? pic.twitter.com/LMcTLS1u0m
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 16, 2023
The Celtics have only gotten better with Mazzulla as their head coach, which is saying a lot considering how they played in the NBA Finals last season with Udoka leading the way.
Under Mazzulla, Boston currently holds the best record in the NBA with 42-17, according to ESPN. They rank fourth in the league with points per game at 117.9 and average the biggest point differential in the NBA this season with a 6.2 victory margin.
With Mazzulla being only 34 years old, he seems best fit to carry on the winning tradition of the Celtics for the long haul.(RELATED: NBA Legend Michael Jordan Celebrates His 60th Birthday With ‘Largest Individual Donation’ In Charity’s History)
The Celtics are the most storied franchise in NBA history. They have had some of the greatest players in the history of the sport that suited up for them and won championships. Not only do the Celtics have the most retired jerseys in the NBA, but in North American sports in general with 24, according to NESN. Hall of Fame players like Tommy Heinsohn, Larry Bird, Robert Parish, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce all have their jerseys retired in the rafters at TD Garden for being integral parts of different eras in Celtics history.
There was a time where NBA legend Bill Russell even led the franchise to 11 titles in a 13-year span which included eight straight championship victories from 1959-1966, according to NBA.com. He was part of the Celtics being the first team in league history to roll out an all-black starting lineup in December of 1964, according to NBC Sports.
That said, the Celtics were instrumental in building the league into what it is today. Above all else, they are a franchise based off of winning. They are tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for most championships in NBA history with 17, according to FanDuel.
With Mazzulla being locked in as the Celtics’ head coach for the foreseeable future and being paired alongside Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart, it’s only a matter of time until the Celtics become the best team in the NBA again and have the championships to show for it.
