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Leadership
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Celtics coach Mazzulla bags NBA top coaching honor and dedicates award to staff

Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla was named the National Basketball Association coach of the year on Tuesday (Wednesday Manila time) after leading his team to a fourth straight 50-win season despite a heavily depleted roster.

The 37-year-old strategist, who previously coached the Celtics to a record 18th championship title, is the first mentor from the storied franchise to earn the prestigious accolade since Bill Fitch in 1980.

Joe Mazzulla named NBA Coach of the Year
Author
Rita Maria Reyes
Published
May 27, 2026

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Overcoming roster challenges

The Celtics, who were eventually eliminated by Philadelphia in the opening round of the postseason, entered the competitive cycle without the services of injured star Jayson Tatum.

Under the guidance of Mazzulla, the team successfully navigated the structural adjustments to finish with a commendable 56-26 record, effectively securing the second seed in the Eastern Conference standings. If the coaching staff had not implemented rigorous defensive schemes to cope up with the absence of their primary scorer, the shorthanded rotation could have resulted to a lower seeding in the tournament.

In an official statement released by the franchise, the multi-titled mentor deferred the credit to his subordinates and the entire backroom crew.

"Thank you to our players who compete and give it everything they have each night," Mazzulla said. "I am grateful for every member of the Celtics organization whose dedication impacts winning every day. This award belongs to our staff, who are there for the guys every day. Their relentless work ethic improves our team daily. This award should be named Staff of the Year."

Executive commendation

Administrators of the team were quick to praise the head coach for maintaining organizational stability during turbulent periods of the athletic calendar.

Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens paid tribute to the leadership of Mazzulla, particularly during the prolonged absence of Tatum who only managed to return to active duty in March following a severe Achilles injury sustained last year.

"With all of our unknowns entering the season, Joe did a fantastic job building and growing a team," Stevens remarked, adding that the head coach pours everything into high-level competition while leading with authentic care for the players, coaches and staff.

An announcement was made by the league office confirming that official trophies and citations would be formally presented to the tactician in a private ceremony.

As the PBA semifinals kick off at the Ynares Center, four powerhouse teams clash to secure a crucial Game 1 advantage and set the psychological tempo for the rest of the post-season.