Joe Mazzulla reveals the strong message he sent Celtics legend Bob Cousy

Multiple Celtics legends appeared at their ring ceremony as the franchise celebrated the raising of their No. 18 banner on Oct. 22. Chief among them was the first legend in their franchise history, Bob Cousy.

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, a Rhode Island native, knows the history of the Celtics and therefore knows Cousy’s illustrious legacy with the franchise. While appearing on WEEI’s “Zolak & Bertrand,” Mazzulla revealed his message for the 96-year-old Hall of Famer during the ring ceremony.

“I thanked him for setting the stage, for setting the expectation of what it means to be a Celtic,” Mazzulla said.

Cousy played a vital role in the Celtics’ dynasty in the 1950s and 1960s. In total, Cousy won six championships when he played for the Celtics from 1950 to 1963. Only nine players in NBA history have more titles than him . Interestingly, eight of them are Celtics, and all of them played with Cousy at one point.

He was one of the NBA’s first superstars and set the precedent for NBA point guards who followed him in the decades that followed. His impact was instrumental in helping the Celtics become the winningest franchise in NBA history.

Mazzulla is right to recognize his influence on the Celtics as a whole. Boston just won its 18th title and hopes to be the first team to repeat as champions since 2018. Cousy not only repeated, but won five consecutive championships from 1959-1963.

That feat is much more difficult to achieve today, but Cousy was one of the pillars of one of the greatest dynasties in professional sports history. It makes sense that Mazzulla sees him as an example to follow.