Boston Celtics
On Monday night, it was the WWE putting on a show at TD Garden while the Celtics were off.
Derrick White (left) and Joe Mazzulla (right) AP Photo/Aaron Gash
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When the TV cameras panned to Joe Mazzulla for a brief moment on Monday Night Raw, the coach had a big grin on his face.
He looked at Derrick White, who was standing next to him, and roughhoused with the versatile guard for a few seconds, getting a few playful punches in while grinning the entire time.
Mazzulla is an MMA enthusiast, but he also grew up watching pro wrestling. When the show came to TD Garden, it was an opportunity for the coach, the player, and their families to spend some quality time and learn a thing or two.
“Honestly I didn’t put too much thought into what the feeling of it was,” Mazzulla said. “I wanted to have a nice night with the family, D-White and his family, and a chance to learn. Anytime I can go to the Garden and learn and watch people do stuff, it’s important. I had a good time.”
White said moments like that go deeper than basketball. He said the playful jabs from Mazzulla were all part of the storyline, and he joked that perhaps the upcoming WrestleMania could be a good time for a rematch.
White said he’s not quite ready to make a heel turn just yet. He’s OK with playing the role of a good guy for now.
“I think I was the babyface in that situation, just waving, doing what I was supposed to do,” White said. “So, I think he’s the heel though, technically. I’ll stay babyface, though, it’s cool.”
Mazzulla marches to his own beat. In sports, coaches can often be viewed as authority figures. His dynamic with the Celtics players is different than a typical boss-employee dynamic, he said.
“I don’t consider myself a boss and I don’t consider Derrick an employee,” Mazzulla said. “That’s not how we operate. I think it’s more about just relationships and the people that you have. I don’t look at it that way and I don’t consider myself in that situation.”
“It was more of we’re in this together in this organization and my family is a part of the organization, other assistant coaches are a part of the organization, and any time we get the chance to do stuff together, that’s important.”
The WWE is closer to White’s speed as a fan than the MMA is, he said. Spending time away from the court can be helpful when it comes to relationship-building.
“We’re all adults here,” White said. “In college I guess you’re kind of an adult but you’re still fighting things out. I think that’s the big difference from college. And then, spending so much time together. You basically see them every day.”
“There’s ups, there’s downs, and you’ve got to have that bond on and off the court that allows them to coach you hard and allows you to listen, learn, and grow. I think Joe does a good job of finding that balance and obviously it’s not very easy or else there would be a lot more coaches.”
Whether it’s footage of killer whales, taking in a Red Sox game, or spending time at a WWE match, Mazzulla enjoys finding ways to tie different experiences back into basketball.
One aspect that is similar in both sports is the important of knowing how to deal with the stars.
“The top people, the top stars, the top talent, what you have in your organization are in a different arena,” Mazzulla said. “You have to know how to navigate that on and off the court, and I think multiple arenas do a good job of that. You have to learn from that.”
“Last night was an example of people who are the best at what they do in their arena. How can you learn from that, and how can you get better from that?”
With Monday Night Raw in town at TD Garden, there was a chance for White and Mazzulla to sit in the stands and watch other people perform for a change.
“I just like learning,” Mazzulla said. “Anytime you can step into someone else’s arena and learn from them, you can always take something.”
Khari A. Thompson
Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.
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