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Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla blasts ‘stupid’ NBA award

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Matt Wadleigh | Last updated Mar 30, 2026 8:07 PM ET

By now, it is no secret that Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla is as blunt as they come.

On Monday, Mazzulla was asked about the NBA Coach of the Year award, and the Celtics coach was as blunt as can be.

“I think it’s a stupid award. They shouldn’t have it,” Mazzulla said, via Jay King of The Athletic.

The question came since Mazzulla is in the running for the award, but the Celtics coach said he doesn’t want to be asked about it again, but rather give the credit to the players.

I asked Joe Mazzulla what winning COTY would mean to him.

"I think it's a stupid award. They shouldn't have it. It's more about the players. It's more about the work that the staff puts in. It's that simple, and I don't ever want to be asked or talk about it again."
— Steph Noh (@StephNoh) March 30, 2026

Mazzulla has gone viral quite a few times this season alone. In January, he answered “illegal screen” to every question during a postgame press conference.

In February, Mazzulla stared blankly at a reporter when asked about Jayson Tatum’s practice. And, in March, the Celtics coach gave an all-time response when asked about Tatum’s debut.

“I might not even be alive by that day. I go to bed questionable, I wake up probable,” Mazzulla stated.

Mazzulla has somehow led Boston to a 50-24 record as of Monday, even with Tatum missing most of the season due to his injury recovery.

Whether he likes it or not, Mazzulla is in the running for the NBA Coach of the Year award with JB Bickerstaff (Pistons) and Mitch Johnson (Spurs) as some other candidates to win the award after Kenny Atkinson (Cavaliers) won it in 2024-25.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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