The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers reignited their rivalry at TD Garden on Saturday night. The two teams last faced off on January 23, when the Lakers overwhelmed Boston in a 117-96 victory. Since then, JJ Redick’s Lakers have only strengthened, winning 17 of their last 20 games. The addition of Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks has propelled LA into serious title contention, entering Saturday with an eight-game winning streak. Meanwhile, Joe Mazzulla’s Celtics have struggled with injuries but continue to find ways to win, securing victories in eight of their last ten games despite missing key players.

Though they stand on opposite sides of this legendary rivalry, Redick and Mazzulla hold great mutual respect. As excitement builds for Saturday’s highly anticipated matchup, comments from both coaches, shared by The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, reveal an interesting connection between them.

According to Buha, Mazzulla once sought to recruit Redick for his coaching staff after taking over as Boston’s head coach in 2022. Redick considers Mazzulla a “good friend.” In fact, Mazzulla attempted to bring Redick onto the Celtics’ coaching staff on two occasions. Their shared philosophies and kinship make for an intriguing backdrop to their upcoming Lakers-Celtics showdown.

Both Redick and Mazzulla followed similar coaching paths, stepping into high-stakes roles as first-year head coaches. Speaking to reporters before Saturday’s game, Redick made his admiration for Mazzulla clear.

“There are a lot of great coaches, and Joe’s one of the best,” Redick stated. His comments emphasized the deep respect he holds for his Celtics counterpart.

Mazzulla echoed the same sentiment in Buha’s article. “I have the utmost respect for him,” Mazzulla said. “He was sitting across from this table and then decided to enter the arena. I wish more people would do that. The fact that he did and wanted to be in the arena just shows how competitive he is.” Mazzulla took charge of the Celtics in 2022 after their NBA Finals loss to the Golden State Warriors, facing immense expectations. Though he fell short in the Eastern Conference Finals against Miami, he ultimately secured Boston’s record-breaking 18th championship in his second year. Despite Redick declining Mazzulla’s recruitment efforts, they stayed in touch and formed a strong mutual respect. Now, they will compete in the NBA’s most historic rivalry.

Redick finds himself in a similar position, leading a Lakers squad led by LeBron James and Luka Doncic. The Lakers are currently among the top two teams in the Western Conference, and if Redick can guide LA to a championship in his debut season, he may follow a path similar to Mazzulla’s journey to success.