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‘You try to take advantage of that [platform]’: Celtics’ Joe Mazzulla explains significance of playing on MLK Day

Joe Mazzulla understands the gravity of playing and coaching NBA games on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

For a Celtics team rich in its history of activism, past and present – from legendary player, coach, and human rights activist Bill Russell to current stars like Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holiday – playing on this day carries great significance.

Prior to tip-off of the Celtics-Warriors matchup on MLK Day, Mazzulla took time to reflect on why playing on the remembrance day is significant, and how he hopes to use his platform all year round.

“The NBA calendar presents opportunities to build a platform on many different days, whether that’s Martin Luther King, whether it’s Christmas, whether it’s Easter,” Mazzulla told reporters Monday.