Joe Mazzulla, the Boston Celtics’ coach, is praised by Marcus Smart for…
The Celtics guard tells PEOPLE how Boston’s coach’s “positivity” helped the team succeed this season, describing the impact from the Udoka affair as “hell” for players.
Marcus Smart, a guard with the Boston Celtics, says head coach Joe Mazzulla has been “excellent” after a difficult start to the season.
Smart, 29, tells PEOPLE that “Joe was put into a situation this year that nobody expected us to have to go through.” The Celtics guard adds, “And he took it fully head-on with a smile and positivity.”
The Celtics had recently fired Ime Udoka as head coach in September of 2022–23 after it was revealed that the 45-year-old had an intimate relationship with a lady who worked for the team in a consensual capacity.
Smart stated to the Athletic at the time, “It’s been hell for us.”
As Smart explained, the Celtics’ season got off to a stressful start because of Udoka’s departure from the team. “It happened in a time that we didn’t have any time to understand everything before media day…we just found out like you guys did, so we’re doing our best to cope.”
Furthermore, Smart expressed his dismay that Udoka would probably never return to coach the Celtics after rumors circulated that he was thinking of accepting a head coaching position with the Brooklyn Nets in November.
He said, “It definitely sucks,” to The Boston Globe at the time. “I guess it was deemed that whatever happened was enough for him not to be the coach here, but I guess not enough for him [not] to be a coach anywhere else, obviously.”
After learning about Ime Udoka’s suspension via Twitter, Celtics players said, “It’s been hell for us.”
Boston currently leads the Atlanta Hawks 2-0 in the opening round of the playoffs after finishing the regular season with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference.
Smart tells PEOPLE that Mazzulla’s “great energy” and distinctive experience have played a major role in Boston’s success. “I cherish Joe. He’s a black belt in jiu-jitsu or something, and he adds a lot of that to the team in addition to being a fantastic coach. Having it has been fantastic,” Smart remarks.
If the Celtics coach is “a great person” who cares about his players, then Smart believes he’s more than just a great coach.
People will love you when you possess such qualities, and we do too. He’s a valuable addition to our team.
As a result of his outstanding play during the regular season, Smart won the 2022 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award. The defensive specialist works with Pronamel Active Shield this postseason because he places the same emphasis on protecting his health.
