Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Rhode Island General Assembly, fetched 2026-07-29. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
H8597 2026 -- H 8597 ======== LC006542 ======== STATE OF RHODE ISLAND IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026 ____________ H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N CONGRATULATING RHODE ISLAND NATIVE JOSEPH MAZZULLA, HEAD COACH OF THE BOSTON CELTICS, ON BEING NAMED THE 2025-2026 NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION COACH OF THE YEAR Introduced By: Representatives Fellela, Blazejewski, Kazarian, Place, Fascia, Hull, J. Lombardi, Noret, Costantino, and Lima Date Introduced: May 28, 2026 Referred To: House read and passed 1 WHEREAS, Since being named the Boston Celtics Head Coach on September 22, 2022, 2 Coach Mazzulla has led the Celtics to 4 straight first-place finishes in the Atlantic Division, 4 3 straight playoff berths, an NBA championship in 2024, and 2 other trips to the Eastern 4 Conference Finals. Overall, the Celtics under his leadership have compiled an astounding .726 5 winning percentage in the last 4 NBA regular seasons; and 6 WHEREAS, Thanks to the sterling guidance and basketball acumen provided by Coach 7 Mazzulla, forwards Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have developed into NBA superstars and 8 MVP contenders, and he has helped to develop guards Payton Pritchard and Derrick White into 9 All-Star-caliber players; and 10 WHEREAS, Entering the 2025-2026 season, expectations were low for the Celtics after 11 Jayson Tatum suffered an Achilles tear during the 2025 playoffs, an injury that also forced him to 12 sit out nearly the entire first half of the current NBA season. Most people expected the Celtics to 13 suffer through a difficult rebuilding season, but instead Coach Mazzulla led the Celtics to a 14 sterling 56-26 record, the second-best record in the Eastern Conference, and the fourth best record 15 in the NBA. The Celtics also once again won the Atlantic Division and advanced to the NBA 16 Playoffs. For these reasons, Boston Celtics Head Coach Joseph Mazzulla was named the NBA 17 2025-2026 Coach of the Year, the first Celtics Head Coach in 46 years to win this prestigious 18 award; and 19 WHEREAS, Born and raised in Johnston, Rhode Island, and a graduate of Bishop 1 Hendricken High School, Coach Mazzulla has been a leader his entire life. From leading West 2 Virginia to the NCAA Final Four, and the Celtics to an NBA Championship, Coach Mazzulla has 3 developed into a great leader whom other people can count on. Coach Joe Mazzulla is also a 4 family man and a man of great faith, who has made all Rhode Islanders proud to call him a native 5 son; now, therefore be it 6 RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby 7 heartily and joyously congratulates Boston Celtics Head Coach Joseph Mazzulla on being named 8 the 2025-2026 NBA Coach of the Year; and be it further 9 RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to 10 transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Boston Celtics Head Coach Joseph Mazzulla. ======== LC006542 ======== LC006542 - Page 2 of 2
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