JJ Redick Says He Previously Spoke to Joe Mazzulla About Joining Celtics Staff

JJ Redick has made a name for himself in the broadcasting world, but the former NBA sharpshooter was at least under consideration to join the coaching staff of the league's best team.

While talking to Boston Celtics guard Derrick White on The Old Man and the Three podcast (h/t Souichi Terada of MassLive.com), Redick said he spoke with Joe Mazzulla about joining his staff during the offseason.

"One thing leads to another, Sunday morning of that weekend, I'm playing golf with Joe, talking about joining your staff," Redick said. "I was just so impressed by him. I spent four-and-a-half hours with him."

The discussion occurred not long after Mazzulla was named Boston's interim head coach on Sept. 23. Mazzulla replaced Ime Udoka, who was suspended for the entire 2022-23 season by the team for a violation of club policies.

Despite the abrupt change at head coach right before the start of the regular season, the Celtics haven't skipped a beat. They lead the league in points per game (120.8), offensive rating (120.6) and net rating (plus-8.8).

The Celtics' current scoring average is on pace to be the highest in a single season since the 1983-84 Denver Nuggets (123.7).

This is Mazzulla's first stint as a head coach in the NBA. His only previous experience as a head coach was at Fairmont State from 2017-19. The 34-year-old left the Fighting Falcons to join the Celtics as an assistant coach before the 2019-20 season.

Boston is currently the only team in the league with at least 20 wins. Its 21-5 overall record is two games better than the No. 2 club (Milwaukee Bucks, 18-6).

Even though Redick declined the chance to move into coaching, it's unlikely he regrets the decision. The 38-year-old has been hosting his podcast since 2016, launched a media company in 2020 and was hired as an analyst for ESPN in 2021.