RI Native, Celtics Coach Joe Mazzulla Brings NBA Championship Trophy To State House

PROVIDENCE, RI — Johnston native and Boston Celtics Head Coach Joe Mazzulla brought the NBA Championship trophy to the Rhode Island.

On Tuesday morning, Mazzulla and Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca visited the Rhode Island State House in Providence, bringing the Larry O'Brien Trophy, to celebrate Boston winning its 18th NBA championship.

Joe Mazzulla was born on June 30, 1988, in Johnston. He attended Bishop Hendricken High School in Warwick and played for and graduated from West Virginia University. Mazzulla advanced to the NCAA Tournament all four years and was named to the Big East Academic All-Star Team three times.

"I left Rhode Island as a young 17-year-old, and when you leave that early, you don't realize the relationships you build or the impact that you may have or the people you may have met," Mazzulla said while speaking at the Rhode Island State House. "I left for almost 15 years, so one of the greatest gifts god gave me is being able to come back to where I'm from and redeveloping those relationships. I've reconnected with so many people and those memories come up."