Ex-Celtics champion reuniting with team as assistant coach

Dec 16, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla watches from the sideline as they take on the Orlando Magic at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Celtics are turning back their clocks to 2008.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on Sunday that Sam Cassell has agreed to join the Boston Celtics coaching staff under Joe Mazzulla. The 53-year-old Cassell is a Doc Rivers disciple who spent the last eight seasons on Rivers’ staffs on the LA Clippers and then the Philadelphia 76ers. But with Rivers recently getting fired by the 76ers and having yet to land a new job, Cassell is moving on to the Celtics.

A former NBA All-Star who played for 16 seasons in the league, Cassell already has notable history with Boston. He finished his career with the Celtics in 2008 and won the NBA championship with them that year.

Mazzulla is set to lose several of his assistants from this season to a rival NBA coach. But Cassell, who has nearly a decade-and-a-half of assistant coaching experience, is a great option to start re-filling out the staff with.