Joe Mazzulla probably hasn't drawn many Kevin Garnett comparisons in his lifetime, but Wyc Grousbeck sees some similarities between the Boston Celtics' head coach and the Hall of Famer.
Chatting with Tom Giles and 2008 NBA champion Eddie House on Tuesday's Celtics Pregame Live, Grousbeck praised Mazzulla while comparing his energy to KG's.
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"He stepped in in a tough situation. The players met him halfway, he met them halfway," the C's owner said of Mazzulla. "He is pure energy. He's a lightning bolt. He's a nuclear reactor. He brings the energy. It's like a mini (Kevin) Garnett. I never even really thought about that, but he's intense and I think he fuels them up. And it's amazing to have a coach who's only 34 fueling up the guys."
The first-year head coach doesn't come off as energetic in interviews, but we've seen the "lightning bolt" side of him on multiple occasions this season. Earlier this month, he was held back by big man Robert Williams after being bumped by the Toronto Raptors' Chris Boucher. After beating the Philadelphia Sixers in March, he was fired up while celebrating the win with his players in the tunnel.
Mazzulla had to miss a game due to an eye injury suffered during a pickup game in December. Then, of course, there was his infamous somersault in the locker room in front of Marcus Smart.
His style is unique, to say the least, but it has worked. The Celtics finished as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 57-25 record and are favored to win the 2023 NBA championship.
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"Obviously, you see the record, the way they played. And the stars believed and everybody else galvanized behind him, and I thought he's done a great job," House said. "It's hard to be a head coach in this league, it's hard to be a player in this league and to be a guy who's going through those rigors being jumped on a job that fast, I have to give him a lot of of credit."
The Celtics will hope Mazzulla's energy fuels another run to the NBA Finals, where they'll look to get over the hump and bring the elusive Banner 18 to TD Garden.
Watch the full segment with Grousbeck below: