Coach Joe seizes TV moment
Boston Celtics coach Joseph Mazzulla led his team to the NBA Championship, then wore a T-shirt for post-game interviews proclaiming: “BUT FIRST … LET ME THANK GOD.”
Mazzulla, 35, is known for being open about his faith and seized the chance after his side’s 106-88 victory over Dallas – clinching the Celtics’ first championship in 16 years – to put his beliefs in the spotlight.
Along with the T-shirt, Mazzulla told one interviewer, “God put us here for a reason.”
He told NBA TV he’d shared a faith-based message before the game with player Jason Tatum: “I told him, ‘Have faith.’ God put us here for a reason. We’ve all been through stuff. God always has us where we’re at. And you’ve just got to be patient, take your time, and use all the pain and all the stuff that you’ve been through in life for the next opportunity.”
The morning after the NBA triumph, lookalike T-shirts were already being sold online.
Mazzulla is known for creating viral moments, including his response to being asked whether he had met the British royal family when Prince William attended a game.
“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph?” responded Mazzulla. “I’m only familiar with one royal family.”
He is a close friend of Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.
