Joe Mazzulla’s coaching crew overwhelms Celtics beat reporters 57-4 in surprise scrimmage
joe-mazzulla-celtics-coaches-crush-media-pickup-game
The pickup game Boston Celtics reporters expected to play against one another on Tuesday never happened. Instead, head coach Joe Mazzulla told the media they would face his staff on the Auerbach Center practice court—and the result was a rout.
Mazzulla’s group rolled to a 57-4 victory in the 12-minute contest on Oct. 14, 2025. The coaching lineup featured several former NBA or high-level players, including 6-foot-9 forward Amile Jefferson, guard Phil Pressey, 6-7 forward Da’Sean Butler—Mazzulla’s college teammate at West Virginia—and development coach God Shammgod. Mazzulla, a four-year West Virginia player himself, also suited up.
Celtics stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum watched the mismatch from above the court. Afterward, CNLS reporter Noa Dalzell described the experience as “a disaster,” citing the vast gap in speed, size and instincts and joking that a box score of the reporters’ turnovers would be “sickening.”
Once the dust settled, the media members finally played one another, with the white team edging the green team 25-22—a far closer finish than their earlier encounter with the coaches.
Source: ESPN
