Watch Pat Riley Make Joe Mazzulla As Happy As You'll Ever See Him

The former Lakers coach was honored with a statue before L.A. faced the Boston Celtics, and his comments about the game made the current C's coach smile in a big way.

Feb 22, 2026; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers former coach Pat Riley reacts at statue unveiling at the Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Pat Riley does not like the Boston Celtics.

He didn’t like them when he was coaching the Los Angeles Lakers, he hated them when he coached the New York Knicks, and he despises them now as the head of the Miami Heat.

How much does he hate Boston?

Well, let’s go back 13 years ago, when then Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge took a shot at LeBron James, then a member of the Heat, for complaining about the officiating. Riley issued an official statement, saying, "Danny Ainge needs to shut the f--- up and manage his own team. He was the biggest whiner going when he was a player. I know that because I coached against him."

On Sunday, the Lakers chose the game against the Celtics to honor Riley with a statue, which depicts him with his left hand on his hip and his right fist in the air. The statue was unveiled before the game, and of course, Riley gave a speech, which ended “The time has come to kick some ass. To kick some Boston ass.”

Of course, the Celtics were preparing for their game, so Joe Mazzulla was engrossed in his preparation, which paid off in a 22-point win to spoil Riley’s night. After the game, Mazzulla was asked about the rivalry, which resulted in this exchange.

Gary Washburn, Boston Globe: “Joe, this wasn't a regular NBA atmosphere. Like, Magic Johnson is here. Pat Riley's telling in the speech to beat the hell out of the Celtics.”

Mazzulla: “Oh said that?”

Washburn: “Yeah, he said that.”

Mazzulla (now smiling): “Oh man, I wish I would have heard that.” (laughter) “That’s fun.”

Washburn: “Yeah, it’s fun.”

Mazzulla: “That’s awesome. Damn.”

Washburn: “And Payton [Pritchard], on his final three, he’s talking to Reggie Miller after. Do you … “

Mazzulla (interrupting): “He said that?”

Washburn: “Yeah, he did say it.”

Mazzulla: “No, Pat Riley.”

Washburn: “No, he did. In the speech”

Mazzulla: “That’s awesome. So good. So good.”

You can watch the whole exchange here, starting at the 8:39 mark.

You may never see Mazzulla happier. But you have to remember that Mazzulla is the same guy who once told Jayson Tatum to run up to him like Travis Kelce ran up to Andy Reid during the Super Bowl.

“He’s like, I would much rather you just come punch me. I wanna fight. I would love to fight,” Tatum told the Kelce Brothers on their podcast. To a man, the Celtics will tell you they like and respect Mazzulla, but he’s also kind of crazy. He compares basketball to hunting orcas and plays war sounds during practice. He’s a unique individual.

So it’s no surprise he it up at hearing Riley’s remarks and was also seemingly upset that he didn’t hear them as they happened. Mazzulla respects a good fight, and Riley is always up for one with the Celtics.