In an interview with Noa Dalzell of Celtics Blog, Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla reflected on the last few years with Jaylen Brown, saying the relationship inspired him to improve his coaching ability. Asked what he’ll miss most about Brown, who was sent to the Sixers in a trade that reshaped the rosters of both Atlantic Division rivals, Mazzulla had a ready answer.

“The biggest thing was just his competitiveness,” Mazzulla said. “He wasn’t afraid to push you. That was for teammates. That was for me. That was for people. He wasn’t afraid to hold you accountable to a higher standard. And when you have the opportunity to coach guys like that, it just makes you better.”

Brown is coming off his best NBA season, averaging a career-high 28.7 points per game and earning second-team All-NBA honors while driving the short-handed Celtics to the second-best record in the East. Mazzulla hopes Boston fans understand how Brown inspired the rest of the team.

“I hope people saw the leadership. The leadership jump that he took this year,” he added. “… I hope people [were able to] see that. What you see is what you get from Jaylen: it’s competitiveness, it’s respect. And he wants to win.”

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Mazzulla addresses numerous topics during the interview, including the addition of center Mitchell Robinson, who was signed away from the Knicks after helping them capture a championship. During a call to recruit Robinson in free agency, Mazzulla explained the Hack-A-Mitch strategy he used to force Robinson off the court during their 2025 playoff series. “I told him (the fouling) was a compliment,” Mazzulla said. “He was so effective when he’s on the floor. We had to do what we could to take him off the floor. So, now we have to be able to use his effectiveness to make us better. And I think it gives us a ton of depth at the center spot where two guys have done so many great things for us, (Neemias Queta) and Luka (Garza). And now we have another guy that can help us.”
It only took one year for Hugo Gonzalez to hear his name in trade rumors, notes Brian Robb of MassLive. The Bucks reportedly wanted the Celtics to include Gonzalez and Baylor Scheierman along with Brown in their offer for Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Boston’s refusal to part with its young players led Milwaukee to take Miami’s offer instead. “It was tough but it’s something that when you come to the NBA, it can happen and something that you are exposed to,” Gonzalez said (YouTube link). “Obviously, it’s a league where you can get traded all of a sudden. It’s something that, if you want to play here, you need to know.”
The Celtics were encouraged by the Summer League debut of rookie big man Chris Cenac Jr., who had 14 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks off the bench Friday night, Robb adds in a separate story (subscription required). Cenac also drilled a three-pointer in the final second of regulation to force overtime. “We saw him put the ball on the floor, we saw him shoot the three, we saw him screen,” Summer League coach Amile Jefferson said. “His rebounding was incredible. So, for us I think he can have an immediate impact.”