Joe Mazzulla had massive shoes to fill when he became head coach of the Boston Celtics in 2022. Just days before the beginning of training camp, Mazzulla was named interim head coach after Ime Udoka was suspended for the entire upcoming season for violating team policies. Considering Boston had just reached the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010 under Udoka, Mazzulla knew nothing short of excellence would be accepted in the city.
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The pressure was already on for the first-time head coach, as Mazzulla immediately inherited a championship-hopeful roster. The Celtics were built on young stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, but the team also boasted a couple of high-profile veterans, most notably Blake Griffin.
The 37-year-old spoke about the highs and lows of his rookie season as head coach, as well as the added pressure of coaching a former top draft selection, during his appearance on Games With Names. Mazzulla praised Griffin as “one of the best guys he’s ever coached” and explained why the former high-flyer was essential to the locker room.
“Amazing guy, and his ability to lead in different ways, both in actions and in words,” Mazzulla said of the Clippers great. “They all did it in their own way. But the verbal, probably, came from Smart, came from Blake, came from Jaylen at times, came from Al at times. JT leads by example, you know, his consistency. But he also leads behind the trenches.”
When former NFL wide receiver Julian Edelman asked what set Griffin apart from others, Mazzulla admitted he was initially concerned about coaching a perennial All-Star with an established legacy in NBA history. At the time Griffin joined the Celtics, Mazzulla was still serving as interim head coach, uncertain if the position would become permanent.
“I was the interim, and then we signed Blake and I’m like, ‘S**t, how am I gonna coach this guy?’ Like he was a former No. 1 pick. It’s Blake Griffin,” Mazzulla continued. “His humility, he came in, and our relationship changed, and it motivated me when he came to me and was like, ‘Hey, how can I get better?’ For a guy to have the foresight … that was huge.”
Griffin spent just one season in Boston before deciding his body had been through enough in his 14-year career. The six-time All-Star was once arguably the best power forward in the association, but injuries derailed his athleticism in his final few seasons. Blake wasn’t able to contribute much on the court for the Celtics, but he still managed to inspire the squad with his team-first mentality.
