Speaking with reporters in the Celtics’ interview room before the game, Celtics legend Robert Parish had high praise for Joe Mazzulla, and even compared this group to the teams he played on in the 1980s that won three NBA titles.
“I think the two eras’ coaching philosophies, or whatever you want to call it, mirror one another,” Parish said. “They have the right coach in place. Because that’s where it starts, with the coach. And the team has definitely taken on Joe’s personality. You know, that toughness, grinding it out on both ends of the court, take no prisoners. I like the fact that, another area they mirror us in, they play hard, they play smart, and they play together. And I like that.”
The two Celtics champions had never actually met as Parish was sharing his praise.
That changed a few minutes later. Parish was still in the interview room when Mazzulla walked in for his pregame press conference, and the two were finally able to introduce themselves.
“I want to commend you for the job that you’re doing,” Parish said, shaking Mazzulla’s hand. “I like what you’re doing, man.”
Parish said he even sees some of his former coach, Bill Fitch, in Mazzulla. Of the 19 head coaches in Celtics history, Fitch and Mazzulla are two of only three to begin their tenures with three straight 55-win seasons. The other is K. C. Jones. They are also three of the seven Celtics head coaches to win a championship with the franchise.
“He’s serious, and I like that. He kind of reminds me of Bill Fitch. That tough love. I like that,” he said. “Even though, obviously, he has people skills. Because if he didn’t have the people skills, I don’t think his players would buy into his philosophy, his concept, the way that they have. So, I definitely think Joe has people skills, because I think it’s very important to give those guys that don’t play a lot, give them some love. Make them feel important. Make them feel wanted. Make them feel like they’re going to contribute at some point, so stay ready. It seems like these guys realize, and it feels that Joe subscribes to this philosophy: Don’t give me a reason not to play you. And those guys seem to stay ready one through 13. Everybody comes in and contributes, and there’s no drop off when the bench comes into the game. And I like and respect that.”
That has been the defining theme of this Celtics season. No matter who is on the floor, the Celtics are playing to a clear identity. And it has propelled a team that some thought was lottery-bound to the top of the Eastern Conference, a level of buy-in and consistency that ties directly to Mazzulla and the culture he has built, but one he continues to credit to his players.
Parish says that unselfishness was key to the success his teams had.
“We all bought into this philosophy that you’re playing for the name on the front of the jersey, not the name on the back of the jersey,” he said. “And I think we all bought into that. We checked our egos at the door, and I think that’s paramount. We were always on the same page. We wanted to win the championship. And we knew we weren’t going to win championships playing like individuals. We’ve got to do it from a team perspective. And it started with our leader, Larry [Bird]. He checked his ego at the door. So, if our leader can check his ego, clearly, the rest of us could check our ego. And that’s where it starts, with the leader. And I think that, as I said before, that’s one thing I like about today’s Celtics. They win collectively. Not one person is doing the work. They’re winning and being successful collectively. They’re doing it as a team. And I respect that.”
They are living by the principles Mazzulla wants his team defined by: humility, mindset, togetherness, toughness, passion, compete. Six traits that hang on a banner between the championship banners above the court at the practice facility.
It’s a philosophy Mazzulla credits his players for.
“I mean, I think it starts with the players, quite honestly. You have to have a group of guys that care about winning, that put competing and winning first,” Mazzulla said. “Everything we’ve done has been a credit to them, and has been really because of them. They come in with the right mindset every day, whether it’s a practice, whether it’s a walk-through, in the locker room, whether it’s a game. That starts at the helm, with our leadership. When your best players bring it every single night, everyone else does.”
And for Mazzulla, a Johnson, R.I., native who regularly pays respect to the franchise’s history, meeting Parish meant something.
“We always talk about how this job wouldn’t be what it was if the people before us didn’t do what they did,” Mazzulla said. “And Robert Parish is at the top of that list with what he’s done as a player, what he’s done in the city, what he’s done for basketball. When you take this job, and you have this job, you realize the gratitude and perspective that comes with it. And it’s our responsibility to move it forward the way that they did. So, really just a ton of gratitude for him and for his teammates and for the people that have come before us to make this job and to make this city what it is.”
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