BOSTON — Since becoming head coach of the Celtics, Joe Mazzulla has always stressed the importance of his Catholic faith.
After winning the 2024 NBA Championship, Mazzulla donned a black T-shirt that read: “But first... let me thank God.” In his first speech following the title, he said: “First of all, the most important thing for us, for me, is our faith.”
Mazzulla’s connection with his religion has routinely come up in his pregame and postgame press conferences throughout his three-year coaching tenure.
Last Spring, when asked about the significance of having two Black head coaches face off in the NBA Finals for the first time since 1975, he replied: “I wonder how many of those have been Christian coaches.