(Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
After Brad Stevens decided to step down as head coach of the Boston Celtics to take a different role as president of basketball operations, the storied franchise chose Ime Udoka as his replacement as the leader on the sideline.
Ultimately, that turned out to be a brilliant move for two reasons: Stevens was better suited for a role in the front office, which he has excelled at ever since making the change, and Udoka proved to be the right kind of head coach who could motivate this team of talented young players led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
The result of these drastic changes was a trip to the NBA Finals, and even though they lost to the Golden State Warriors, the future seemed to be bright for Boston, with Udoka leading the charge until he was let go by the team for issues behind the scenes, which resulted in Joe Mazzulla taking over as head coach.
The move to Mazzulla was a questionable one, but he was able to lead the team to the Eastern Conference Finals and one win away from returning to the Finals in his first year.
This success instilled confidence in Mazzulla and paid off during the 2023-24 NBA season, where the Celtics finished with a league-best 64 wins and the distinction as arguably the best team in the league, as they lost only two games on their way back to the Finals.
Mazzulla has shown his coaching chops throughout the playoffs and impressed Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James (via Maine Boston Celtics).
“This Joe Mazzulla guy is a f****** genius,” James said on his podcast.
Lebron James,” This Joe Mazzulla guy is a f***ing genius.”pic.twitter.com/dxEqYVK0N9
— MaineBoston Celtics (@Big_Maine100) June 5, 2024
The real question moving forward is whether Mazzulla has what it takes to win an NBA title as head coach, as he will be going up against another head coach eager to prove his worth on the biggest stage in Jason Kidd and a resilient Dallas Mavericks team.
The Celtics are currently favored to win this series, and the first game of the Finals will begin on Thursday in Boston.
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