Joe Mazzulla on his goal as Celtics coach: I want to be forgotten about

Josh Chambers: Joe Mazzulla says his goal as Celtics coach is to be forgotten “If the people around you didn’t do what they do… I wouldn’t do anything. The thing I reflect on the most is… I think you have to be willing to be forgotten. I think that’s kind of my main goal.” “I want to be forgotten about. Because that means after you… It was better. I think that’s what it means to be a Celtic. However long you play, coach, work for the Celtics…” “Your job is to keep it exactly where it’s at or bring it better. You cannot bring it down. If you leave and it gets worse, that’s your fault. If you leave and they win, and they forgot about you, you did your job.” “I talk about that every day with the staff. Our job is to one day be forgotten about because you did your job. It became about something bigger than you.” “It’s a burden and a love for being with the Celtics… But it’s a responsibility. I think we could take that into our daily life. Can I leave it so much better that they don’t remember me because the next person came and was better?”

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On draft night, when teams Cenac had worked out for such as the 76ers, Raptors, and Knicks passed on him, Cenac seemed discouraged to Sampson. But the coach told him the night had a favorable result. “I said, ‘Chris, I’m glad those teams didn’t take you,’ ” he said. “Then when Boston took him, I said, ‘They believe in you, Chris. You went to the right team.’ Brad Stevens is one of the best basketball people in the world, and I’ve been so impressed with [coach] Joe Mazzulla.” — 8/22/2026 Boston Globe

In June, while the NBA Finals and the Liga Betclic Finals were taking place, Neemias Queta had the opportunity to show Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla around Lisbon, Benfica and Barreiro, where Queta grew up and played. What did Mazzulla tell him about what he saw in Portugal and Portuguese basketball? “I think he liked what he saw. He said there are people who can make it there if they really want to work hard. And I think he really loved Portugal. I think the thing he liked the most was the food. It was a good time. He came alone, but he said next year he’s coming with his wife and kids. We’ll welcome them with open arms,” Queta revealed. As for his expectations for the Celtics next season, Queta expects them to “be competitive again.” “People have already started saying again that the other teams are the good ones and that we don’t have enough quality. But I think, with the group we have, the people we have in the locker room? And our coach?” — 8/19/2026 A Bola

A February 4th game between the Celtics and the Houston Rockets served as an inflection point in Harper’s season; he started for the first time in his career, guarded Rockets star Kevin Durant, and showed himself — and the world — he belonged. It’s a game that Joe Mazzulla has pointed to as well in that it showcased Harper’s readiness and preparation. “The first time I really played meaningful minutes was when I started in Houston, and that kind of came to be because of the Anfernee trade, and it happened all really fast,” Harper said. “But I feel like after that game where I started and I played all those minutes, and I played well, I felt like after that point I felt like I’d be a real contributor to this team and a part of bringing this team back to the championship. So, that’s something I look forward to doing next year.” — 8/4/2026 Celtics Blog

Bobby Krivitsky: Caleb Grill on Joe Mazzulla: “I just like how intense he is. How straight to the point he is, and there's no cutting corners with him. And I like how straightforward he is with everything.” — 7/18/2026 x.com

Bobby Krivitsky: I asked Amile Jefferson if he’s getting feedback from people like Joe Mazzulla, Jon Scheyer, and Coach K during his opportunity as the Celtics’ Summer League head coach. “All those people you named are really in my corner and have been super helpful to me in my career. “Jon's one of my closest friends. He's really smart. He's an amazing coach. So as much as I can talk to him; the feedback that I get from Joe is always really good, and he's been amazing to my growth and my career. “So especially those two, being able to talk to them before games, after games, just making sure I'm good and knowing that I have their support is really helpful to me.” — 7/17/2026 x.com

Daniel Donabedian: Joe Mazzulla on how his in-season fighting/training helps him connect with his players: “I can go through the season and not have any physically taxing moments and the players are physically drained…The more I can meet them where they’re at and put (myself) in that position, I think it helps…understanding what they go through.” — 7/14/2026 x.com

Mazzulla said he empathized with Brown throughout the situation. “Honestly, when some of the trade stuff was starting to happen, there were other guys on our roster that were impacted emotionally as well because their names were in it as well,” Mazzulla said. “I think the thing that’s different is obviously having a respect and an understanding of what Jaylen has done for the Celtics for 10 years. So, there’s a difference between maybe a young guy going through something and a guy like Jaylen, who has accomplished so much and done what he’s done for the organization going through it. And so, you definitely have a higher sense of empathy for that.” — 7/12/2026 New York Times

As Derrick White and Jordan Walsh went through a workout on one of the Cox Pavilion courts Saturday morning, head coach Joe Mazzulla detailed the respect he has for Brown, what Boston will miss most about him and the need to create a new path forward without him. After 10 highly successful seasons with Brown, Boston will take on a different look with Paul George, Mitchell Robinson and Mike Conley now on the roster. “There needs to be a grieving process for losing not just a player in Jaylen, but a person in Jaylen,” Mazzulla said in an interview with The Athletic. “There needs to be a grieving process that this guy, what he has done on the court and what he’s done in the community and what he’s done for the city of Boston, there should be a grieving process. But the … gray area is throughout that loss, you’re also gaining.” — 7/12/2026 New York Times

More than anything, Mazzulla credits the five-time All-Star for making him better. Speaking to a group of reporters just a few minutes earlier for the first time since the trade, Mazzulla shared how difficult the trade was and stressed that Brown made him a better coach: “I know that for a fact.” “Something like that is going to be difficult,“ Mazzulla said. “But I think if you could just get through it and act as if nothing happened, then that’s when I think that you’re not in it for the right reasons.” As we later sat on the gymnasium sidelines, I asked Mazzulla to elaborate on the notion that Brown made him better. “The biggest thing was just his competitiveness,” Mazzulla said. “He wasn’t afraid to push you. That was for teammates. That was for me. That was for people. He wasn’t afraid to hold you accountable to a higher standard. And when you have the opportunity to coach guys like that, it just makes you better.” — 7/10/2026 Celtics Blog

Bobby Krivitsky: Joe Mazzulla on Jaylen Brown: “It’s not a black and white thing. There's a feeling that goes into it. There's an emotion that goes into it. There's a processing pattern that goes into it. “The quicker you can get to — it's just a level of gratitude. He made me a better coach. I know that for a fact. The way he pushed me, the way he pushed himself, the way he pushed the locker room. He made me a better coach, and that's what you focus on.” — 7/9/2026 x.com

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Joe Mazzulla on his goal as Celtics coach: I want to be forgotten about

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