"Enemy of my enemy is still my enemy"- NBA fans in splits as Joe Mazzulla reveals he won't speak to former assistant

Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla and his top assistant Charles Lee led the team to the 2023-24 NBA championship. In the offseason, the Charlotte Hornets signed Lee to lead them as head coach. Mazzulla told reporters that his former assistant was already an “enemy” once the new season started.

The Celtics are 2-0 in the Mazzulla-Lee matchup this season. Boston’s coach shared that Lee visited him in the locker in their first meeting and Mazzulla said that Lee “breached NBA rules” and “forced him to give him a hug.” He also said he wouldn't talk to him during the season.

Fans reacted to Mazzulla’s comments about Lee interacting with Lee for the first time this season:

“‘The enemy of my enemy is still my enemy’ - Joe, probably.”

Other fans shared their thoughts:

“Definitely convinced he’s from another planet," @John5Movement said. “Love his mindset.”

“Hey babe wake up new psycho Joe Mazzulla quote just dropped,” @comBradStevens commented.

"This man is a cyborg from the future to save humanity," @SuriyaIsSupreme said.

“This man is the best thing to happen to NBA press conferences. He’s so funny,” another fan commented.

Joe Mazzulla’s Boston Celtics are 10-3 after roughly three weeks, including 2-0 versus the Hornets. He has been known to give his team an advantage over opponents in every way possible. Mazzulla wouldn’t want to give his former top assistant an edge against him this season.

Lee, though, has given the Hornets a boost. Charlotte put up a strong fight against the Celtics before eventually losing in back-to-back games.

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Joe Mazzulla faces Charles Lee twice more this season

The Boston Celtics are 2-0 in the regular season against the Charlotte Hornets but they have two more games against them to look forward to. Boston finishes its regular season campaign with two straight games against the Buzz City team, hosting the Hornets in mid-April to close out their campaign.

Regardless of where both teams find themselves in the standings, Mazzulla’s comments about facing Lee will likely ring true. The result of the Hornets-Celtics games at the end of the season will be highly interesting, especially with this coaching narrative to follow.

Lee has said in a few interviews that he is intensely competitive. Beating Joe Mazzulla in his first season as a head coach might be a personal goal, as well as a professional one when the Celtics and Hornets meet again.