Derrick White and Joe Mazzulla attended a live showing of WWE RAW on Monday, March 23. Their appearance went viral on social media, with the Boston Celtics duo appearing happy to be in each other’s company outside of a team setting.
When speaking with the media following a practice session on Tuesday, March 24, White discussed his bond with Mazzulla and how he enjoyed the trip to watch the WWE with both his family and Mazzulla’s also in attendance.
“It was a lot of fun,” White said. “I think just spending time off the court and his family was there, my family was there, so just bonding. I think that goes deeper than basketball. So it’s always cool to do things like that….For the most part, I think every year, the longer you’re with him, the bigger the bond grows. I don’t know if we did anything our first year he was coaching, but I think every year we do some stuff like that, and I just happened to be on national television.”
Mazzulla’s coaching style is built on relationships. He spent time with multiple members of his roster during the summer, including recently signed (but now traded Chris Boucher.) It’s previously been reported that under Mazzulla’s leadership, there’s a family atmosphere around the Celtics facility, with family and children welcomed during team events and game nights.
Spending time with White, with both families in attendance, isn’t out of the norm for what we’ve seen from Mazzulla. In many ways, it’s a key part of how he gets the best from his players, and why his hardline style of coaching resonates so well throughout the roster.
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