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Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla has been fined $35,000 following an incident in which he aggressively pursued and directed inappropriate language at a game official. The NBA announced the fine on Saturday, with the penalty coming from Joe Dumars, Executive Vice President and Head of Basketball Operations.
The fine is a result of Mazzulla's actions following the Celtics’ 117-108 loss to the Chicago Bulls on December 19 at TD Garden. In the game’s final moments, Mazzulla was seen exchanging words with referee Justin Van Duyne after the Celtics were assessed three technical fouls in the fourth quarter—one each for Mazzulla, Jaylen Brown, and Jayson Tatum.
When time expired, Mazzulla appeared to approach the officials, and his conversation was described as heated. While video footage did not indicate any friendly exchanges, Mazzulla later explained his outburst in a postgame interview, humorously attributing his comments to a festive gesture.
Mazzulla's "Holiday Cheer" Explanation
After the game, Mazzulla offered a lighthearted explanation for his outburst, claiming he was merely trying to spread holiday cheer.
“I just hadn’t seen them in a while, so just a Merry Christmas, happy holidays,” Mazzulla said. “I wasn’t sure I was going to see them before the holiday. I just can’t let a moment go by where you wish someone just the best to them and theirs and their families.”
Despite Mazzulla’s lighthearted reasoning, the NBA fined him for his conduct, which was deemed as aggressively pursuing and directing inappropriate language toward the officials.
The Technical Fouls and Players' Reactions
The Celtics' frustration began to mount in the fourth quarter, which saw Brown, Tatum, and Mazzulla all receiving technical fouls. Crew chief Tony Brothers explained that Brown’s technical was given for questioning the integrity of an official, while Tatum received his for an overt action toward an official.
Brown, who felt his technical was unwarranted, expressed his frustration in the postgame, arguing that he was penalized unfairly. “I got fined a couple of weeks ago for inadvertent gestures that are determined to not be a part of the game, which was fine. I took the fine. But what part of the game is a ref calling an inadvertent technical foul? I said to him, ‘You called a tech for no reason.’ He said, ‘If you say it to me again, I’m gonna call another tech.’ I said again, ‘You called a tech for no reason.’ Then he called the tech. Like, man, get out of here. You can’t threaten guys with a technical foul. That’s not part of the game either… Like, that’s some bulls,” Brown said.
Mazzulla’s Sarcasm After the Game
When asked about the message he hoped to send to the referees, Mazzulla responded sarcastically, referencing his earlier comment about holiday greetings. “I hadn’t seen them in a while. So, just a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday… can’t let a moment go by where you don’t wish the best to them and theirs,” he joked.
Celtics’ Frustration in the Loss to the Bulls
The Celtics had entered the fourth quarter with a lead, but a shooting slump and controversial calls led to growing tension between players and officials. Mazzulla’s heated exchange with the referees was only the latest in a series of disputes during the game, which ended with the Celtics’ loss.
Despite Mazzulla’s light-hearted explanation and Brown’s frustration, the NBA has made it clear that such behavior is unacceptable, as reflected in the fine imposed on the head coach. The incident has drawn attention to the ongoing issues of technical fouls and referee-player interactions in the NBA, with the Celtics’ recent struggles serving as a backdrop.
