Celtics Head Coach Models Leadership Style After Jesus
By Movieguide® Contributor
Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla is not afraid to profess his faith, opening up about Jesus’ impact on his coaching and career.
Mazzulla does his best to model his leadership style after Jesus.
“The part of Him that I kind of resonate the most with is His leadership style and who He was just as a person…Regardless of anything else, there’s a reason why 2,023 years later that there’s still people talking about Him. He did something right,” Mazzulla stated on the Sports Spectrum Podcast. “Just learning from those leadership values is fun.”
However, most recently, the coach has needed to learn more about grace and mercy, especially in the NBA.
“I really had to understand grace, and when I had the ability to understand grace, I understood surrender,” he said. “When I understood surrender, I understood the balance of pride and humility, where it plays into my heart and where it plays into my relationship with Christ.”
But one thing Mazzulla holds on to in his profession is that everyone has unique talents and abilities.
“God has given us all unique gifts, abilities, opportunities, and how do we use those for the better of people around us?” he expressed on the podcast. “How do we use what God has given us to move your organization forward, move the world forward, just try to leave it a little better than you found it?”
The coach has been open about finding his identity in God.
“As you grow as a person, you’re constantly having to build an identity. I didn’t have one at a certain point in my life for whatever reason. You have to find a foundation, and for me, that’s my faith,” he told CBS.
Mazzulla added, “If you don’t have a compass, it’s very hard to direct yourself. You have to learn that on your own sometimes. My identity comes from my faith and my purpose. I got into coaching because I’ve had people pour into me, sacrifice for me, and I want to do that for my players.”
Mazulla became the Celtic’s interim head coach last year after Ime Udoka was suspended for the 2022-2023 season after violating franchise policies.
Despite the controversy surrounding why he landed the position, he believes God brought him there for a reason.
“We’re supposed to be here,” he told Andscape. “For us, our faith is really important, and we felt like we followed God’s plan to a T as to where he wanted us to be. And it wasn’t even a thought. And you don’t have time [to contemplate].”
After taking charge, “The Celtics started 18-4, and Mazzulla was named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for October/November. Boston ultimately earned the No. 2 seed with a 57-25 record and rallied from a 3-0 deficit against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals to force a Game 7, which it lost on its home floor. But the strong season led Mazzulla, who played in a Final Four during his college career at West Virginia and joined the Celtics as an assistant in 2019, to receive an endorsement from team president Brad Stevens after the season,” Sports Spectrum reported.
Movieguide® recently reported on what Mazzulla told the media after the Celtics were knocked out of the NBA playoffs last season.
In an Instagram post, Mazzulla told CBS Sports, “Honestly, I met three girls under the age of 21 with terminal cancer. I thought I was helping them by talking to them, but they were helping me. So having an understanding about what life is really all about and watching a girl dying and smiling and enjoying her life. That’s what it’s really all about and having that faith.”
Mazzulla added that most people really only give God the glory when they win but he plans to give God the glory regardless.
“You know the other thing is, you always hear people give glory to God and say thank you when they’re holding a trophy. But you never really hear in times like this (referring to being down 0-3 to the Miami Heat). And so, for me, it’s an opportunity to just sit right where I’m at and just be faithful. That’s what it’s about,” Mazzulla concluded.
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
