Celtics’ Division Rival Tried to Poach Joe Mazzulla
Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla became the unexpected subject of a quiet New York Knicks coaching search this summer, according to longtime NBA insider Marc Stein.
After parting ways with Tom Thibodeau despite the team’s first trip to the Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years, the Knicks quietly gauged whether Mazzulla might be available.
“It has also been whispered that the Knicks likely did some backchannel exploration to determine if there was any pathway to pursue Boston’s Joe Mazzulla,” Stein wrote Monday. “There obviously was not … and then the Celtics extended Mazzulla’s contract in August.”
The Knicks eventually hired two-time NBA Coach of the Year Mike Brown, but the rumor underscored the growing respect Mazzulla has earned in league circles since leading the Celtics to the 2024 NBA Championship.
Thibodeau Shares Secrets at Celtics Practice
Adding to the intrigue, Thibodeau resurfaced in Boston this week — visiting the Celtics’ practice facility and spending extended time with Mazzulla and his players.
Jaylen Brown said Thibodeau didn’t just watch practice; he rolled up his sleeves and broke down film from last spring’s playoff matchup, where the Knicks eliminated the Celtics in six games.
“I think that was awesome having Thibs,” Brown told reporters. “Obviously, they eliminated us last year, so him being able to give us some of the thoughts that he saw in that series and some of the stuff that they broke down in our personnel — or even our team — helps us grow and learn from that.”
Brown added that Thibodeau dissected film with him, Jayson Tatum, and Mazzulla, offering insight into how New York successfully defended Boston in key moments of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
“From a team perspective and from a top-down perspective — what he wanted to do with me and Jayson, what he wanted to do when the ball was in my hands — it allows you to grow if you’re humble enough to listen,” Brown added.
Mutual Respect Between Coaches
Mazzulla, who has often credited the Celtics’ 2008 championship staff as a model for his coaching philosophy, welcomed Thibodeau’s visit.
“He won a championship here — just having him around makes me better, makes our organization better,” Mazzulla said. “It’s a lot of respect for him.”
Thibodeau served as Doc Rivers’ top assistant and defensive coordinator when Boston’s “Big Three” — Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen — captured the 2008 title. His return marked an unexpected reunion with an organization that once launched his head-coaching career.
Celtics Staying Focused on Mazzulla’s Leadership
While the Knicks’ interest reportedly went nowhere, it reinforced Mazzulla’s reputation as one of the NBA’s fastest-rising coaches. Boston rewarded him with a multi-year extension in August after a 62-win season and the franchise’s 18th championship banner.
Mazzulla now turns his focus to guiding the Celtics to what is expected to be a challenging year without Tatum (Achilles) and veterans Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis, who were traded in the offseason.
When the Celtics extended Mazulla, team president Brad Stevens said in a statement that the 37-year-old coach “understands the job and has a passion for the Celtics that is only rivaled by our most die-hard fans.”
“He’s worked hard and accomplished amazing things in his first three years as a head coach — including averaging over 60 wins per season and winning the 2024 NBA Championship,” Stevens added. “Joe is a gifted leader who brings a consistent commitment to learning, improving, and maximizing each day we get to compete for the Boston Celtics.”
Former Lakers Guard’s Comeback Marred by Constant Volcanoes
DeAndre Kane’s return to the world of professional basketball was supposed to be simpler than this.
After two years away from the game, in May 2023, the former Iowa State guard and
Instead, however, Kane has found himself in a city struggling to recover from a series volcanic eruptions that have displaced most of its residents, and disrupted daily life across the Reykjanes Peninsula. Since late 2023, Grindavík has been at the center of a string of volcanic eruptions from the nearby Fagradalsfjall system, one of Iceland’s most active volcanic zones.
Kane’s Brief Lakers Days
Kane – a member of the 2015 Lakers summer league roster – joined Grindavík ahead of the 2023–24 season, his first contract since the global pandemic. The team plays in the Icelandic Úrvalsdeild, a small but competitive league that has hosted several international veterans over the years – Kane’s experience, size, versatility, dynamic play and
Within weeks of his arrival, though, the team’s focus shifted from basketball to logistics. Repeated volcanic activity near Mount Fagradalsfjall forced games to be moved and residents to evacuate. The eruptions and lava flows have
Players and coaches have been commuting from nearby towns for practices, with home games often relocated at short notice. Kane and his teammates have therefore been working under limited resources, playing in smaller gyms and dealing with irregular schedules as seismic activity continues.
Before the eruption, the population of the town of Grindavik was reported to be approximately 3,000 people. Now, it is down to about 900, and at one point was
Permanently On The Road
Despite a lack of prestige, and a subpolar climate most Americans would find too difficult to deal with, the Icelandic league pays well compared to otherwise comparable leagues, and is able to pull in a decent quality of import player accordingly. By way of example, joining Kane in the backcourt for Grindavik for the second half of last season
Moving to the country was nevertheless a big step down in prestige on the surface for Kane, who – as evidenced by his time with the Lakers – was at one point on the cusp of the top tier. After five years in college – four at Marshall and a graduate season at Iowa State on a high-profile Fred Hoiberg team – he went undrafted in the 2014
Kane subsequently built a steady career, mostly across Europe, where a Hungarian passport acquired in 2017 allowed him to circumvent import quotas. He played in Russia, Germany, Israel, Spain, Hungary, Serbia and Belgium, adapting to multiple roles from combo guard to defensive specialist, with his most notable stretch coming with Maccabi Tel-Aviv, where he appeared in two seasons of EuroLeague play. He also topped up his earnings with four victories in
Despite the challenging circumstances, Kane has been productive on the court,
