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S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
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H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N
CONGRATULATING BOSTO N CELTICS HEAD COACH AND JOHNSTON NATIVE JOE
MAZZULLA ON WINNING THE 2024 NBA CHAMPIONSHIP
Introduced By: Representatives Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Fellela, Serpa, Costantino,
O'Brien, Hull, Solomon, Messier, and Chippendale
Date Introduced: January 28, 2025
Referred To: House read and passed
WHEREAS, The Boston Celtics, thanks to the sterling leadership and outstanding 1
coaching provided by Head Coach Joe Mazzulla, won a record-setting eighteenth NBA 2
championship in 2024; and 3
WHEREAS, Joe Mazzulla was born in Johnston and attended Bishop Hendricken High 4
School where he excelled at basketball, leading Hendricken to three Rhode Island State Titles, 5
with the last one taking place during his senior season when he hit a clutch last second shot to win 6
the championship; and 7
WHEREAS, After graduating from high school, Joe accepted a basketball scholarship 8
offer from the University of West Virginia, where he once again excelled on the court and led his 9
team to success at the highest levels, which included winning the 2002 National Invitation 10
Tournament, a second-round NCAA upset victory over a powerhouse Duke team, and a NCAA 11
Final Four appearance in his senior season which included a thrilling Elite Eight victory over a 12
loaded Kentucky Wildcats team. As a testament to the respect he earned from his teammates and 13
the coaching staff at West Virginia, he was selected to serve as the Captain of the West Virginia 14
Basketball team in his final season of NCAA competition; and 15
WHEREAS, After graduating from college, Joe entered the coaching profession, a 16
natural career path for someone of his character and vast leadership skills. He served as an 17
Assistant Coach at Glenville State, Fairmont State, and with the Maine Red Claws of the NBA G 18
League before he was named the Head Coach of Fairmont State in 2017. In his second season as 19
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the Head Coach of Fairmont State, Coach Mazzulla led them to an appearance in the 2019 NCAA 1
Division II Tournament; and 2
WHEREAS, In 2019, Coach Mazzulla was hired to serve as an Assistant Coach with the 3
Boston Celtics. Two years later, on September 22, 2022, he was named the Interim Head Coach 4
of the Boston Celtics, where he immediately proceeded to impress the entire league with his 5
coaching acumen, amazing leadership abilities and superb play calling. Coach Mazzulla was 6
named the Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for October and November of 2022 and was 7
named the official Boston Celtics Head Coach on January 30, 2023. Coach Mazzulla proceeded 8
to lead the Celtics to an outstanding 57-15 record and a first-place finish in the Atlantic Division 9
as the Celtics reached the Eastern Conference Finals. Bigger things were yet to come during the 10
next NBA season; and 11
WHEREAS, In the 2023-2024 NBA season, Coach Mazzulla led the Boston Celtics to 12
the best record in the NBA with an outstanding 64-18 record, seven games better than the second-13
best record in the NBA. Under his guidance, Jayson Tatum earned First-Team All-NBA honors, 14
and earned a selection to the All-Star game with teammate Jaylen Brown, with Jrue Holiday and 15
Derrick White earning NBA Second-Team All-Defensive Honors. Once again, Coach Mazzulla 16
earned Eastern Conference Coach of the Month awards, this time for December of 2023 and 17
March of 2024; and 18
WHEREAS, As good as the Celtics were in the regular season, they were even better in 19
the NBA playoffs. The team easily defeated bitter rival the Miami Heat, 4-1 in the first round of 20
the NBA playoffs. The Celtics then proceeded to quickly dispatch the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-1 in 21
the next round, and then swept the Indiana Pacers 4-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals to reach 22
the NBA Finals, where they faced the Dallas Mavericks and their phenom point guard, Luka 23
Dončić. In a highly anticipated NBA Finals, many were questioning whether the Celtics could 24
contain Dončić and the Mavericks high-powered offense, but the Celtics answered the call as they 25
dominated the series, holding Dallas to under 100 points in four of the five games as the Celtics 26
won The Finals series 4-1, earning an NBA record-setting 18th NBA Championship. Coach 27
Mazzulla also became the youngest coach to win an NBA Championship since Bill Russell in 28
1969, also for the Celtics; and 29
WHEREAS, Coach Mazzulla recently returned to Rhode Island on September 3, 2024, 30
visiting the State House with the championship trophy to celebrate his success with his family 31
and many friends as well as the many fans of the Boston Celtics located in our state. Coach 32
Mazzulla graciously thanked the people of Rhode Island for "contributing to the village that 33
helped raise him", and went on to talk about all the locals he bumped into on his return visit to 34
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Rhode Island who gave him car rides, bought him lunch, babysat him, went to his games and 1
supported him and his family over the years; now, therefore be it 2
RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby 3
congratulates Boston Celtics Head Coach, and Johnston native, Joe Mazzulla, on winning the 4
NBA Championship in 2024; and be it further 5
RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to 6
transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the Boston Celtics Head Coach, Joe Mazzulla. 7
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