Joe Mazzulla shares how Jerry West impacted his basketball journey
On Wednesday morning, the basketball world lost an icon. Jerry West, the former Mountaineer and logo of the National Basketball Association passed away at age 86.
On Wednesday night, the basketball world turned their attention to Game 3 of the NBA Finals, featuring another former Mountaineer, Joe Mazzulla and the Boston Celtics, facing the Dallas Mavericks.
West would be honored pregame with a tribute video and a moment of silence, while on the court, Mazzulla and the Celtics now hold a commanding 3-0 series lead as they are one win away from the NBA title.
Mazzulla and West shared the WVU uniform, years apart obviously, but he said West helped inspire him multiple times throughout his basketball journey.
"My junior year in college, I wasn't living up to anyone's standards and I got a call and it was Jerry. A lot of expletives but essentially told me I was an 'f-up' and was ruining an opportunity to be great at something and just let me have it for 10, 15 minutes. And I thought it was one of the most impactful phone calls that I had really in my life," Mazzulla said.
Mazzulla said he was greeted with more harsh words from West once when he stayed at his house for an open gym.
"Stayed at his house once and overslept for UCLA open gym and went down for breakfast and got another a-- chewing because I wasn't being competitive enough," Mazzulla said. "The thing I remember is he had a tough way of showing that he loved you. But he was super, super, competitive and really, really cared about you. And he showed it in a way that kind of spoke to my language. He'll be missed and praying for the family."
On the other bench leading the Mavericks is Jason Kidd. Kidd is also no stranger to West or fellow West Virginian Rod Thorn. He told a story about him and Thorn, and how much he learned about West's impact on Thorn, but also West's ties to the state of West Virginia.
"When I was with the Nets and Rod Thorn and we're going to Memphis to play [the Grizzlies] and I never seen a grown man drool before. I asked Rod why he was drooling and he was like, 'That's my idol.' And I was like looking for Michael Jordan but Michael wasn't anywhere close. And I said, 'Jerry West.' And that's when I learned a little about West Virginia and it was an incredible moment because I'd never seen Rod in awe before," Kidd said prior to Game 3 on Wednesday. "To see that and to see Jerry and the way he handled Rod was very impressive and to talk about West Virginia and basketball... It was a historic moment for me because I was learning just about West Virginia."
Mazzulla will look to close out Kidd's Mavericks on Friday night with tip-off set for 8:30 p.m. EST.
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