Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla is all about his players. He'll coach hard in garbage time for the sake of his bench guys and take the floor himself to defend opponents after the whistle. Unfortunately, not everyone in the NBA seems to be a fan of his approach.

On Wednesday, Mazzulla revealed that he's been told to stop contesting shot attempts during timeouts, via the Zolak & Bertrand radio show. When asked who passed on this directive, he said he wasn't allowed to say.

“I've been told I can't [block shots] anymore,” he disclosed. “I can't say [who told me to stop]. All I know is we won't be doing that anymore.”

Mazzulla trying to prevent opposing players from finding their rhythm isn't anything new. He even contested a shot Buddy Hield put up after the whistle when the forward was still on the Indiana Pacers in late January.

Yet, his deadball tactics didn't catch national attention until last Thursday when the Celtics hosted the Phoenix Suns during primetime. Late in the fourth quarter, Suns sharp-shooter Royce O'Neale was desperate to hit something. He went scoreless through 27 minutes of play and hoped to see one go through when he pulled up from deep following a timeout.

Mazzulla didn't want O'Neale to catch fire, so he got out on the court and contested the unofficial 3-pointer:

Since this matchup was nationally televised, a lot more eyes caught this unique display of defense. Hall of Famer and current media pundit Charles Barkley saw it and was not a fan, to put it lightly.

“I would’ve knocked the hell out of him, I’m not gonna lie,” Barkley said of Mazzulla on Inside the NBA.  “I would’ve hit him 
 I’ll tell you why I don’t like it. What if he stepped on his ankle and hurt himself badly. He can’t do that, come on, man.”

In the end, no one was hurt on the play and the Celtics prevailed 127-112. However, clearly some NBA higher-up was annoyed, as this directive to stop contesting probably came from someone who outranks Mazzulla. The 35-year-old head coach wouldn't confirm or deny this theory.

RECOMMENDED (Article Continues Below)
Heat, Celtics, Jayson Tatum, Celtics Heat, NBA Playoffs, Jayson Tatum and Heat logo with Celtics arena in the background

Scotty White ·

Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kristaps Porzingis all looking hyped on a Miami beach background

Daniel Donabedian ·

Jayson Tatum (Celtics) with laser eyes

Rexwell Villas ·

“I saw a guy going in to try and get a shot and he hadn't made one and I didn't want him to feel good about himself going to the bench,” Mazzulla said following Boston's victory over Phoenix, per Jared Weiss of The Athletic. “If I’m gonna ask the guys to contest, staff’s gotta do the same.”

What likely matters most to Mazzulla is that his players have no issues with this strategy. Just ask Celtics star Jayson Tatum, via Brian Robb of MassLive.

“That’s who Joe is,” Jayson Tatum said last Thursday. “So when he did it, I wasn’t caught off guard. I expect him or one of the coaches to do that. Gotta love Joe for Joe.”

Sideline contests aside, Mazzulla has led his Celtics to the best record in the NBA at 54-14 overall. The C's became the first team to clinch a playoff spot after beating the Suns and they can win the Atlantic Division by defeating the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday evening.