Games with Names - 18 Minutes of Joe Mazzulla Stories

Episode Date: July 12, 2026

Joe Mazzulla shares stories about coaching the Boston Celtics, growing up in Rhode Island, and even his innovative new business idea.Support the show: http://www.gameswithnames.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's up, fam, it's sports journalist Ari Chambers. Hey, what's up, y'all? It's your girl, Sam J. And we're the hosts of Everyone Watches Women's Sports, a new podcast from Together. We're breaking down the biggest headlines, the viral moments, and the stories everyone's talking about across women's sports. From game-changing performances to culture-shifting conversations, we'll give you our takes, our debates, and a few laughs along the way.

Because everyone watches women's sports. Listen to Everyone Watches Women's Sports. On the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. 150 years ago, they were hunting us down to kill us, and now they're hunting down immigrants to deport them. This is First America, the true story of how the United States came to be, and how we got to this present moment. Listen to First America on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

For years, the unhoused have been presented as a monolith in mainstream media. Weedian House is a podcast that's changing the narrative. I'm Theo Henderson, and I created the show why I was unhoused on the streets of Los Angeles. We've grown into a two-time Webby Award-winning podcast, the only podcast that shares unhoused stories and news from the unhoused perspective. Listen to Weythian House on the IHard Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, it's Alec Baldwin. This season on my podcast, here's the thing I talk to composer Mark Shaman. It's about the hang. It's the pleasure of hanging out with the people that you're with. You know, Rob and I was always a great hang.

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on the IHeart Radio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to Games with Names. I'm Julian Edelman, and we got a brand new compilation highlight reel starting now. Now, Joe Missoula pitches his situation room business idea. So you know how they have like, what's that thing called? Where you, like escape rooms? Yeah.

They should have, we should start a business where you have like situation rooms. And like you can sign up and go in and like reenact different things. You know, like, hey, what are you doing tonight? I'm going to grab dinner and then we're going to go reenact a bit. in Lott and Raid. That'd be a sick for state idea. You know what I mean? Like, I think the escape room is just the beginning.

Yeah. It's like, hey, what are you doing tonight? We're going to simulate. They have those. You go out to like the West Coast. You can go deal with those like, they teach you how to like the John Wick guy that teaches you gun. I'm talking like down here on like the main road.

I'm not saying like you got to go out. I'm saying like you can find an escape room anywhere. Like at a billiard spot? Yeah. Like tonight we're going to reenact. Saw four. No, maybe. We're talking about morality.

But tonight we're going to be. going to reenact like negotiation tactics like hey you're going to get you know after dinner you're going to be kidnapped and i got to i got to use my negotiation tactics to like get you back like more strategy than yeah yeah you know what i mean that's a fuck that's crazy i just want some situation like so like so i whatever i watch i try to tie into like how you can you know another great one is um so we should think more about that business i'm into it i like that boardroom screen yeah someone comes in you know what my The fairer movies is?

What? The game. Was that Michael Douglas? Yeah. Where he hires the people to put himself in that situation? Yes. Because he wants excitement. Yeah.

Yeah. I'm just playing in this night. I like this fun Friday night. I mean, escape rooms are just the beginning. Oh, yeah. That's child's play. Come on. I mean, that is.

I mean, that's over. I mean, that's boring. Trying to go P.F. Chang's, maybe a little waterboarding afterwards. Next up, Joe Missoulazoulah explains what halftime is like in an NBA locker room. So a half time. What's the lock room like under head coach Joe Mazula? I think you're from as soon as that horn goes off, even during the first half, you're,

I'm constantly saying, okay, what did we do well? What didn't we do well? What hurt us? And you try to anticipate on what's going to happen in the second. And then when the horn goes off, it's about a 45 second to a minute walk to the back. You're kind of deciding about like, all right, like, what does the team need right now in this moment? And then, you know, what are we going to focus on? And so in that game, you're talking about the, you know, you follow a three-point shooter three times and you give them nine potential points out of that that you have to take that away. And so I think you're just constantly, but it changes, right? Sometimes you're in there and you show film. You know, sometimes you're in there and like you don't show any film. Sometimes it's like, okay, does an individual player need something or does the team need something? And so you're just constantly diagnosing what needs what at that moment, figuring out like, okay, where do we need to be better that we can control? Where do we need to be better of the things that?

you know, we suck that. And then, you know, try to get ready for the second half there. Now, how long is the halftime? It's 15 minutes. By the time you get back to the locker room, it's like 13.30. And then you got three and a half minutes to look at the halftime edit to see what you want to show. And you try to show the halftime at like 10. So do you have, because like whenever our half time, it was, it was clockwork.

We would come in for halftime. It was 13 minutes or 12 minutes. Coaches would have two minutes together while we were undrain, like let our emotion. get down. Then we break up into O&D. Offensive coach would have his four keys that we're going into. Defense a coach would have his four keys. We'd have two minutes there. Then we'd have two minutes as a team. And then special teams would have one minute or like it was broken down. Like, do you guys have a moment? It's different because you guys are so small. Yeah, it's different. So I think you're in the back as far as roster size. No, by the time we get to the team, it's probably four

clips, offense, four clips defense, or if one side of the ball is just so much more drag. drastically impacting the game, you just focus on that. But it's like that in the staff of like, you know, the offense team will give their insight. The defense team will give their insight. The coach doing the halftime at it kind of puts in, you know, order of what's most important. And you're just, you know, so in that three and a half minutes, you're kind of deciding, okay, what's the most important? Is it a, are both important or are we focusing on one? Now, Joe Missoula on what it means to coach the Boston Celtics.

What was it like being called to be the 19th coach? for the historic Boston Celtics. I mean, that's kind of where my faith came into play. It just felt like it was a true gift from God, really. Like, it was like, I don't belong here. You know, you go through a little bit of like, how the hell did I get here slash I don't belong here? But I also, I was put here, you know, by God.

And so, like, that's really the only way to describe it. Can you describe to people, our viewers that are from different cities, how the Celtics are different than any other NBA franchise? Yeah, I mean, I think it's, it starts with the history. You know, it starts with the tradition. It starts with some of the greatest players who have ever played the game. And then it goes to the city. Like, you know, there's not much difference between how Hugs motivated us the year we went to the final four and what it's like to be in Boston.

I think the only way for a team to maximize itself, not just in one year, but in a series of years is like we took on the identity of West Virginia people, the gritty, the hard nose, the blue collar. Like, he was very adamant on, like, playing for something bigger than yourself. And it's the same thing here. You know, you're playing for something bigger than yourself. You're not playing for just yourself. You're playing for the guy next year, but you're playing for the city. You're playing for the competency of the fans and the respect of the fans and the respect of the organization. And, you know, that comes with a lot of responsibility.

That comes with a, it's not easy, but it's necessary. And it's a compliment that you get that responsibility to be able to do it. But, you know, there's nothing better and it's just different. And I think it's a list of all those things. Who is the team asshole? Like the guy that, not like an asshole, but a team asshole in our world is a good guy that holds people accountable. May not do it in the most proper way, but works his dick off. Yeah.

That kind of asshole. Not like an asshole. Yeah. I mean, let's not use that word because I don't like. Who's a team enforcer? Yeah. So there's like a few guys. Everybody is in their own way, right?

Like vocal guy. Like Jason does it in one way. Jalen does it in another way. does in another way for this season and for his time here, you know, you have to give that to smart, like his ability to do that. And an underlying one who ended up being one of the best people I ever coached was Blake Griffin. You know, he became like just an amazing guy and his ability to lead in different ways, both in action and in words. And so, you know, they all did it in their own way. But the verbal probably, you know, came from smart, came from

Blake, came from Jalen at times, came from Al at times. JT leads by example. Like he's, He's, you know, his consistency. But he also leads, you know, behind the trenches, the way he, uh, how he, you know, treats other people and, and, uh, you know, his coach ability. So they all do it in their own way. Now, how did Blake do it differently? I mean, it was actually interesting because like, I didn't, again, I was the interim.

And then we signed Blake and I'm like, shit. Like, how am I going to coach this guy? Like, he was a former number one pick. Like, it's Blake Griffin. And, um, you know, his humility, like, he came in. And I'm in. And our relationship changed. it, you know, motivated me when he came to me.

It was like, hey, how can I get better? And for a guy of his stature and where he's been to have the foresight to be like, hey, I want to get better. Like, how can I, you know, that was huge. Right. And, you know, every time he talked and decisions that he made weren't about him, they were about, you know, winning. Yeah.

Now, you talk about Jason Tatum and how he treats people. That's probably a huge component of why he is, who he is. What else makes him great? Yeah. I mean, I think you live in that space of like greatness is viewed as differently. And I think another thing, when you play for the Celtics and you have a great team and you have multiple guys, you have to take on everybody's greatness. And you have to allow space in order for greatness to kind of be exemplified in different ways. Right. And, you know, like Al does it in a certain way. Jalen does it in his way and his approach and his fierceness and his warrior mentality. Jason does it in his consistency. and, you know, his ability to just want to be coached all the time and want to be held accountable, which they all do that, right? But like, you know, so I think that's how he does it. Next up. Hey, I'm Ruby Carr, the host of the podcast, Encore.

Check out our brand new episodes featuring music from the show that everyone is reheating as we speak. Heated rivalry. Join me as I go behind the songs that brought Shane and Elia together. I'll tell you the stories of Fice, My Moon, My Man, Wolf Parades, I'll Believe in Anything, and tattoos all the things she said. how they all became a part of this global phenomenon. Stream encore on IHeart Radio, crave, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, fam? I'm sports journalist Ari Chambers.

Hey, what's up, y'all? It's your girl, Sam J. And we're the host of everyone watches women's sports, a new podcast from Together and Iheart women's sports. Because let's be real. Women's sports is giving us way too much to talk about these days. The highlights, the rivalries, the breakout stars, the moments to take over your entire timeline. In the conversation, that start during the game and somehow keep going all week. Every week we're breaking down the biggest stories across women's sports. We'll give you our tapes, our debates, and probably a few disagreements.

We'll talk to athletes, celebrate big moments and get into what's happening on and off the field, court, track, and beyond. Because we're not just interested in what happened. We're interested in why everyone's talking about it. Because everyone watches women's sports. So if you're already a fan, you're just getting into the game, there's a seat for you right here. Listen to everyone watches women's sports On the IHeart Radio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast

My first guest is Harris Holtin Shakira, Luke and Yerin Samira and Gracie I'm so excited on the bouncy bed You have surprises Many surprises Welcome to Sweet 305 where the group chat

comes to life What a Brees It's like a form of saying like Oh, my God, oh, my best Amiga, oh, my brother. What a... Look, never I've ever been with nobody.

Except with my kids, my kids, and my family. Oof. Punch, that's incredible. Yeah, that's the novel. You're the only person I know that loves a yellow starburst.

It's really, and there's someone. Like, you say, I'd like to collaborate with this person. This is Sweet 305. Listen to Sweet 305 with Lele Pons as part of my culture

a podcast network on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, everyone, it's the Jonas Brothers. This week on the podcast, Hey Jonas, we're hanging out with the one, the only, the only and the one Michael Boubley. You guys, I'm genuinely a huge fan. Like, it's funny, you know, I made a whole thing about doing this TikTok where I got you guys to sign the guitar and I, but it was real, like, we listen to in the car all the time. Like, it literally is hanging up with all your signatures. Wow. I am so honored. After Kevin's recent let's call it interesting confession about Michael. I had a feeling this wasn't going to be going away.

We figured there's only one thing to do. We must invite Michael Buhlis on the podcast, and we want to know what's on his sexy time playlist. You know, I did an interview, and they're like, have you heard about this Jonas Brothers thing? And they were like, what did you think of it? I was like, well, I mean, it's reciprocal. Like, what a man going to do?

What a man ought to do? We talk about Kevin's confession, Michael's reaction, and a whole lot more. Do you have a hockey rink in your house? I do. I do. Our conversation with Michael Bublay is out now. Listen to Hey Jonas in the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Joe Missoula breaks down where island food.

Now, what's young coach Missoula's favorite place on federal hill? Panavino. Panavino. Yeah. I think I worked there for like two days. What happened? I'm not a big manual labor guy. And so I was like, I'm not doing that.

I can't do this. I think you had to like, if I remember you had to ask for like three. Now I guess the people that like now I'm that guy because I always want. sparkling water instead of distilled. You had to ask for like three different waters. Did you want? Yeah. Still flat sparkling. Yeah. And then like the utensils had to be like three fingertips from the thing. And I was like, I'm just going to go to the gym. Tight ship, baby. They run a tight ship over in the hill. Do you ever go to Orphanos? Alphornos? Maybe once when I was a kid, but like, I don't remember it as much. You ever go to Sienas? No. That was over there on the hill.

We used to go there. We weren't allowed to go to federal. We weren't, we weren't really allowed to go to Providence. Coach didn't want us there. There's a lot of great restaurants in Rhode Island. Creserta's pizza is obviously a big one. Yeah. Rosamia's pizza in Johnson is phenomenal. I got to, what's called Rosamia?

You got a fine. It's like the true Sicilian pizza, like nice thick square slices. What kind of sauce and shit? Have you seen Nona's? Netflix. Yes. Vince Vaugh. Yeah.

Great movie. Yeah. It's fun, right? Yeah. But I was, I couldn't remember if my grandmother called her sauce sauce or gravy. Gravy. But she made a hell of a, you know, a sauce or gravy. You know, I always want to experience that Italian East Coast grandma.

That was us. Every what, Sunday? I mean, every night. So every night, like, because she lived in the same house by dad. I think there was nine brothers and sisters combined, but you never knew who was coming over. So she would make dinner every night. And it was just an open door. So like whoever came in came, you know, if you got there late, you didn't eat. And so, but on Sundays, we would have like, you know, a big, a big ordeal. Like all my aunts would cook. My grandmother would cook. It was,

I mean, it was just like, just like the movie. It was cool. It was cool to kind of relive that. I watched that the other night with my wife. Now, we got bread for every, everything, right? Bread has to be bread. I've learned that in the Italian house. You got to have a piece of bread in your at all time for the sauce, the fucking noodles. You got to dip the bread in the sauce. You can't let the sauce go to which. I don't eat as much bread anymore. You can't coach.

I know. I mean, I'm getting old. Not getting old, but I've heard the interviews. You've got to stay in shape so you can understand the perspective that the players are in, right? I think that's important. I think that's a way to be empathetic for what those guys have to go through. Hell yeah. But I lost touch.

I don't do the coffee after dinner. I can't do that. I'll never go sleep. I can't. No. I'm sensitive that stuff too. I went through a sambuca phase, though. Ooh.

Yeah. Like that. A tea? No. What is it? Oh, is that the alcohol? Yeah. Dejceste.

Yeah. Dejistivo. Is it de jesd? What else is Zamboca? And then there's another one. There's a lemoncello, which is too sweet. But there's an Amaro that's phenomenal. Like the Amaro's are great.

I used to drink those a little bit. They always say makes your stomach feel better. I felt like it made me drunker. I think both can be true. Now, Joe Mozilla on his favorite movies. What's the best Boston movie of all time? coach. I know you love the town, but is that your favorite? It's between the town and the departed, I'd say.

Yeah. Depends on what kind of relief you need, do you want? I don't know what kind of mood you're in. I mean, I grew up on the departed, but the town, as I got older, and the reason why I kind of resonate a little bit more with the town than the departed is is the identity and the love factor, you know, that like you're in this space. Like, I feel like kind of, you know, this area and kind of how I grew up of like, and even people in general, not necessarily to an area. but it's like you're always, you don't like the person you are, but you do and you're trying to be something that you want to be something more, but like who you are is bringing you down, so to

speak, you know what I mean? And I feel like the town portrays so much more than violence where it shows an identity crisis of like this area made me, but I'm looking for more, you know, and, you know, the great things about me are from this area, but also the tough things about me are from this area. And how do you evolve as a person? And, you know, living in a space of being falling in love with someone but also robbing banks at the same time is like there's nothing more of a duality or approach to that and so it just has a little bit more of a than the part of where like it's an action and it's a great movie like this is like you know it shows more of like like you know you're trying to figure out your identity but you have these things uh tugging with you at

all times but you want to be a better person and oh by the way i love you but i'm also using you because you're getting interrogated by the FBI what's more you know yeah it's darker It's realer. I'm attracted to, you know, like, the part is comic. There's some comedy relief with, you know, Jack and how he does things. There's a little funniness to it. Yeah. The other one, town, and there ain't, that shit feels real.

It's just dark. Yeah, I agree with you. And I'm not, you saying it as like a, saying of it, like, I'm attracted to the dark side of greatness or the dark side of, like, the tugs of identity and love and like. Lead your shadows? You part of the Batman people? I mean, legend. That trilogy is by far the best trilogy.

that it by far by far yeah I mean the dark night is dark I I you know what you know what I loved I loved Batman begins because I was a huge Batman kid yeah and to see the origin of where it all came from like I was like oh my God that's how they got the Batcave holy shit yeah oh man that's where he got his fucking moves he went to China or Japan wherever he went like that was like and then the dark night was crazy and then bang came and I think the Batman begins is third I think it's dark night Night Rises, then Batman begins. Oh. I think I'll go Dark Night, Batman Begins,

Dark Night Rises. It got a little long at the last one. Yeah. But the space I love is like villains, you know, like the movies and like these are like the themes that I always think about of like there really isn't much difference between the hero and the villain. Right. And I think that's the space of why the villain gets so frustrated is like the self-righteousness of the hero thinking he's better than someone else because he's quote unquote trying

to do the right thing, you know. And so they're more similar than they, than you think. Are you a Star Wars fan? I'm not. Because I have that same argument with, you know, the dark side and having the force, you know. I think when you're, what are they called? Sith. A Sith.

When you're a Sith, all they are people that have the force that make decision through emotion. Yeah. When you're a Jedi, you're making decision emotional lists. So it's more peaceful, but why are we getting mad at a person that's making emotional decision because we all do that? Yeah, I know. The space is, the gap between a hero and the villain is much, it's very similar to, like,

the gap between winning and losing and greatness to, you know, be good to great. Like, that gap is so much closer than people think. And it's very small, fundamental details that separate you. And that's the space that I like to, like, dive into a lot. What is it the saying? You live long enough of the hero? you die the villain or something? Dark night.

Dark night. You're a dire hero. I live long enough to be the villain. I mean, that's as much true as you can get. It is. Now, who's your villain? Who's the villain? The Joker.

You're the Joker. Yeah. That's the guy. That's who you... That's my guy. Like... The Heath Ledger version? Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. I heard the first time, I mean, so I have this... I mean, I got this. Why he's so serious? For him. Wow. Because of, like, that perfect balance of, like, you know,

you know it's a great question yeah yeah now what you and he goes into like telling the story as to like how he got to that point you know but it's like you know it's amazing how like if you look at the batman and the joker it's like the joker had no rules but he really just wanted honesty you know but he just went to the wrong depths to try and get that honesty meanwhile batman was like you know i'm doing i'm doing this for all the right reasons when in reality, like, was he? And, you know, they're not much different. They're not. You need to do a movie podcast. That's what you should do on your spare time. I was going to ask you, what do you do on your spare time?

Probably going to get better at my job first. Fucking, that's a car. There. It's sports journalist Ari Chambers. Hey, what's up, y'all? It's your girl, Sam J. And we're the hosts of everyone watches women's sports, a new podcast from together. We're breaking down the biggest headlines, the viral moments, and the stories everyone's talking about across women's sports. changing performances to culture shifting conversations will give you our takes, our debates,

and a few laughs along the way. Because everyone watches women's sports. Listen to everyone watches women's sports. On the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. For years, the unhoused have been presented as a monolith in mainstream media. Weed Inhous is a podcast that's changing the narrative.

I'm Theo Henderson, and I created the show why I was unhoused on the streets of Los Angeles. We've grown into a two-tenths Webby Award-winning podcast. The only podcast that shares Un-House stories and news from the Un-House perspective. Listen to Weezy &House on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. 150 years ago, they were hunting us down to kill us, and now they're hunting down immigrants to deport them. This is First America, the true story of how the United States came to be, and how we got to

this present moment. Listen to First America on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, it's Alec Baldwin. This season on my podcast, here's the thing.

I talk to composer Mark Shaman. It's about the hang. It's the pleasure of hanging out with the people that you're with. You know, Rob and I was always a great hang. And director Morgan Neville. Film School teaches you all the wrong things about making documentary.

What do you want to say? Documentary is all about your ear. What do you hear? I feel like my job is listening really, really hard. Listen to Here's the Thing on the IHeart Radio app Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.