Celtics' Joe Mazzulla fined $35,000 after verbal NSFW incident with official
12/21/2024 01:02 PM
The NBA has fined Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla for his NSFW comments and looking for a specific referee after the team lost to the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night, 117-108. Celtics star Jaylen Brown would also have a problem with the officiating along with Mazzulla, but the coach was the only one to receive a fine.
Mazzulla will be fined a sum of $35,000 for the incident that took place right at the conclusion of the game where he would spout NSFW remarks while people were holding him back. The statement would be released Saturday afternoon and announced by Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars.
“Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla has been fined $35,000 for aggressively pursuing and directing inappropriate language toward a game official,” the statement read. “It was announced today by Joe Dumars, Executive Vice President and head of Basketball Operations. The incident occurred after the Celtics' 117-108 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Dec. 19 at TD Garden.”
The following has been released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/bSbo09bI1V
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) December 21, 2024
Joe Mazzulla has been fined $35k for 'aggressively pursuing and directing inappropriate language' towards a game official, per @NBAPRpic.twitter.com/06nbP94JFF
— BALLIN HQ (@BallinHQ) December 21, 2024
When asked after the game about what message Mazzulla wanted to send to the officials, he would have a sarcastic response saying that he was expressing cheer for the upcoming holidays according to ClutchPoints’ Celtics reporter Daniel Donabedian.
“I hadn’t seen him 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,” Mazzula said.
Joe Mazzulla on the message he wanted to send by going after the refs:
"I hadn't seen them in a while. So just a merry Christmas, happy holidays." pic.twitter.com/MaOSMEZ5Pf
— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) December 20, 2024
Celtics’ Jaylen Brown speaks on technical fouls to him and Joe Mazzulla
In the loss to the Bulls, the Celtics were up going into the fourth quarter, but they would experience a shooting slump that culminated in a play where Mazzulla and Brown argued about a jump ball situation. They would receive technical fouls as Brown had his own NSFW response about it afterward.
“I got fined a couple 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.
Jaylen Brown went off on the refs and the double standard of his fine against the Pistons and the officials' actions tonight:
"You can't threaten a guy with a tech…I think it's bull****." pic.twitter.com/Fh10UTFgFD
— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) December 20, 2024
At any rate, the Celtics are now 21-6 which puts them in second place in the Eastern Conference as they have a rematch with Chicago on Saturday night.
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