Joe Mazzulla of the Celtics’ “Inappropriate” Joke Didn’t Go Over Well.
The Boston Celtics clinched a victory against the Washington Wizards on Friday, but the outcome wasn’t as straightforward as some anticipated at TD Garden.
With Boston having four times as many wins as Washington before the NBA All-Star break, many expected the Celtics to dominate. However, they found themselves engaged in a tough battle during the third quarter. The game seemed on the verge of turning into one of their worst losses of the season, prompting head coach Joe Mazzulla to attempt to lighten the mood.
In an effort to ease the tension, Mazzulla resorted to telling a few jokes, as he later admitted. “I told a couple jokes in the third quarter,” Mazzulla acknowledged, as reported by CLNS Media. “They were pretty inappropriate jokes, but it helped break the tension because we were getting caught up in wondering why the game wasn’t going our way, instead of just embracing the fact that this is a game and we should simply compete.”
It seems the jokes had the desired effect, as the Celtics managed to regain the lead midway through the quarter and held onto it until the end. However, not everyone on the Boston bench was necessarily amused.
“Certainly, Joe tells jokes,” remarked Celtics star Jaylen Brown postgame, as reported by CLNS. “I wouldn’t say he does it frequently, but he does try to inject his personality. He’s had better luck with it than today.”
When asked if the jokes were funny, Brown’s response hinted at the timing being off: “Is that what he told you? I suppose that’s the narrative we’re going with. We were trailing at the time, so I didn’t find it amusing. I get it, though. That’s Joe.”
It doesn’t sound like Mazzulla will be pursuing a career in stand-up comedy anytime soon, but perhaps he could dedicate some time away from his jiu-jitsu training to refine his comedic skills at Laugh Boston. Alternatively, he might stick to his primary job, which has seen him and the Celtics leading the league with the best record at 40-12.
