While NBA head coach rivalries rarely match the intensity of on-court player matchups, it’s common for coaches to avoid communication during the season. However, there are exceptions, one being the unexpected rapport between Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick and Boston Celtics’ Joe Mazzulla.
JJ Redick Discusses His Unique Rapport With Celtics Coach Joe Mazzulla
The Lakers and Celtics have one of the NBA’s fiercest rivalries, making any connection between Redick and Mazzulla surprising. Yet their relationship dates back to before Redick assumed the Lakers’ head coaching role, and according to Redick, they still keep in touch.
“We do talk. I don’t know if I’ve ever asked Joe for stuff since I got this job, but he was very helpful when I was doing media,” he said ahead of the Lakers-Celtics game.
In fact, it’s worth noting that Mazzulla even tried to recruit Reddick for an assistant coaching position before the 2022-23 season. “It was in those early stages of knowing I wanted to coach but not sure what the timing would look like,” Redick said earlier this year.
“We had a couple talks about it,” Mazzulla then said about Reddick. “Definitely was interested in it. But I don’t know as far as where he was in that process. But you learn from each other. He’s an analytical mind, he thinks the game, thinks on his feet. He’s definitely someone you can learn from.”
However, Redick declined at the time to continue his media and podcasting career. But two years later, the Lakers came calling, and he accepted, an outcome that has benefited both parties. Mazzulla played a small but meaningful role in the transition.
“When I was going through this process, he, along with a few other coaches in the NBA, were really helpful,” Redick said. “Not just in preparing for an interview, but just really helping me understand what this was and what it required.”
On the court, the Lakers struggled without Luka Dončić and LeBron James, falling 126-105 to the Celtics on Friday night. Austin Reaves led the team with 36 points, but the rest of the lineup failed to make much of an impact, while six Celtics players scored in double figures.
The loss dropped Los Angeles to 16-6 on the season, placing them third in the Western Conference behind the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets. The Lakers continue their three-game road trip on Sunday against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center.