Inside the Rhode Island village that raised Joe Mazzulla – and eventually, the Larry O’Brien trophy

PROVIDENCE — As he walked down the steps of the Rhode Island State Capitol, Joe Mazzulla cradled the Larry O’Brien trophy, with Queen’s “We are the Champions” blasting in the background.

On paper, Tuesday morning’s objective was simple: for the Celtics organization to celebrate Banner 18 with lawmakers and locals from the state of Rhode Island, a gathering that was initiated by Governor Dan McKee.

In reality, it was a celebration of Joe Mazzulla and the power of community.

As Mazzulla made his way toward a crowd of legislators, he was accompanied by Governor McKee, who rocked a “Whatever it takes” Celtics T-shirt, and Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca. The trio — each prominent in their own unique way — addressed the eclectic crowd, which included dozens of state policymakers, local media, and die hard Celtics fans.

The moment conveyed a sentiment that Mazzulla holds near and dear to his heart: the Celtics 2024 championship is for the entire region.

“One of the goals of winning the championship is connecting the Celtic identity to the community,” Mazzulla said to the crowd. “That was a huge goal of mine this season — reconnecting to the city of Boston, and really reconnecting the identity. One of my goals is when people watch the Celtics, they see the City of Boston, they see New England, they see that toughness, that mindset. That’s the basketball that I saw growing up.”

The unique thing about this particular gathering was that the crowd members were overwhelmingly people who knew — and loved — Joe Mazzulla growing up. The 36-year-old has deep roots in Rhode Island; he grew up in Johnson, went to high school in Warwick, and his late father, Dan, was a beloved basketball coach. Though he left RI at age 17, Mazzulla made clear that those early years were foundational.

“This is very exciting,” Kristen Mazzulla, Joe’s aunt, told CelticsBlog after the ceremony had concluded. “It’s something that I never thought would happen, but it’s reality. It’s still sinking in.”

Joe Mazzulla’s championship celebration was a celebration of community

“Joey!” one man yelled out as fans lined up to take photos with the Celtics’ coach.

Mazzulla smiled as the two made eye contact. It was a familiar face: an old family friend and high school referee, Paul Giarruso, donning a black shirt with the word “Italy” pasted across it.

“I like your shirt,” Mazzulla said with a smile.

For Mazzulla, coming back to Rhode Island with a championship trophy in hand was a particularly meaningful experience: a little kid who grew up a massive Celtics fan in Johnston, Rhode Island was now back in the state that raised him, decked out with the ultimate prize.

“Every day I drive into the facility and still pinch myself a little bit with gratitude and, you know, ‘How the hell did I get here?’” Mazzulla told the crowd.

Tuesday’s event was centered on the understanding that Mazzulla didn’t achieve this alone.

First, he thanked the Celtics organization: “People don’t really understand what goes into organizational leadership, organizational alignment. The Celtics are one of the top organizations in the world from top to bottom. Everyone is on the same page.”

Then, he credited the people of Rhode Island for contributing to the village that helped raise him. He returned to the New England area four years ago as a coach for the Celtics, and has since had the chance to reconnect with people from all facets of his life.

“It’s been really cool coming back with my wife, with my kids… constantly running into people that got me rides, bought me lunch, babysat me, came to my games, supported me when I was in CYO, in high school, who knew my father, who knew my family,” Mazzulla said. “To just reconnect and rekindle those relationships, to get back to the foundation of who I am and where I’m from, has been one of the greatest gifts that I’ve gotten.”

It seemed like every person in the crowd had some sort of connection to Joe Mazzulla, whether direct or more convoluted. Those who had to spend a few minutes explaining just how they were connected to the championship coach did so with a self-aware grin.

“I don’t want to be one of those people – oh he’s my best friend. Everybody acts like he’s their best friend,” said Kyle Norigian, chuckling. He did explain, though, his own, unique connection to the Mazzulla family: he coached basketball with Joe’s father, Dan, until his passing, and was previously coached by Joe’s uncle, Anthony, for 8 years.

“In Johnson, everybody’s close,” Norigian said. “It will never be normal seeing Joey up there.”

To celebration of the Celtics’ championship, he brought his young nephew, Nick Gionis, to the event, who sported an authentic Mazzulla West Virginia University jersey that caught Joe’s attention when the two posed for a mid-speech photo.

Norigian, who was thrilled his nephew got the photo-op, described the Celtics culture in Rhode Island as “obsessive,” and noted that no one could have predicted what Mazzulla was able to accomplish so early in his career.

“Did I expect him to get here? He’s 36 and he just won a championship. I don’t think anybody expects that of anybody. It’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen, honestly. It’s awesome.”

Still, the Mazzulla family is unsurprised at Joe’s success

Joe Mazzulla said that spending time in Rhode Island as an adult led to two revelations.

“You start to realize – one, how much of a pain in the ass I was and two, how many people went into making sure I got to where I am today.”

Among those that were there from the beginning was Joe’s aunt, Kristen Mazzulla, who maintained her confidence in her nephew never wavered.

“I did see this for him. I saw him either playing professional basketball or being a coach somewhere,” Kristen said. “Since he was little – this is what I saw for him.”

Her high school daughter, Anna Mazzulla, also endorsed her older cousin’s character.

“He’s just, like, the sweetest person ever,” she said. “He’s very humble and down to earth. Some people might say, ‘Oh, he never smiles, he never does this.’ But deep down, he’s not what he seems. He’s actually very nice, caring – he’ll do anything for anybody.”

Before the event concluded and the picture-taking began, Joe made sure to take a family photo on the steps of the State House.

And then, he delivered a final message of gratitude.

“Thank you to everyone who, in those 17 years, has helped me get to where I am. Thank you to the state of Rhode Island for those people.”