How Joe Mazzulla Responded To Recent Celtics Home Burglaries

BOSTON — The Celtics were struck by a pair of home break-ins at the residences of Jaylen Brown and assistant coach Amile Jefferson this week, giving the team a chance to reflect and take the precautionary measures going forward.

Brown, a resident of Wellesley, and Jefferson, who lives in Newton, Massachusetts, were on the road in Washington during Boston’s win over the Wizards on Sunday. Nobody suffered any physical harm although Brown needed to take an emergency leave of absence from practice this week to be alongside his mother and Jefferson was robbed of his 2024 Celtics championship ring.

Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla addressed the situation with a sigh of relief before the Celtics hosted the Chicago Bulls at TD Garden on Thursday night.

“Learning about it but they’re healthy which is good so they’re safe,” Mazzulla said. “It’s a scary thing for people. You see it happen around different sports so we’re obviously aware of it but when it happens to you, you have an understanding of the risk there so we’re just happy that they’re safe and I think communication is the most important thing. Jaylen has been there for his mother. We try to be there for Amile. I think the Celtics have done a great job doing what they can educating us on what we can do to be better.”

Brown and Jefferson became the latest of an ongoing string of crimes that’s specifically targeted professional athletes in recent months. Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs, along with Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, too, endured home burglaries in the past two months. NBA veterans Bobby Portis of the Milwaukee Bucks and Mike Conley of the Minnesota Timberwolves were also struck this year, and the spree has only continued.

The NBA and NFL have cautioned its players, with the NBA releasing a memo in November relaying information from the FBI. It’s believed that the trend of break-ins comes from a larger and more sophisticated operation to be uncovered.

“The NBA, which has also been giving guidance to team security personnel, recommended that players install updated alarm systems with cameras and use them whenever leaving the home, keep valuables in locked and secured safes, remove online real estate listings that may show interior photos of a home, ‘utilize protective guard services’ during extended trips from the home and even have dogs assist with home protection,” per ESPN.

Boston, in the meantime, will continue doing its part to keep everyone in the Celtics locker room as safe as possible as the police department continues its investigations. The reigning champions have tried getting ahead of the Brown and Jefferson break-ins by relaying messages to players throughout the season regarding the ongoing spread of incidents.

“The security team had some great updates for us,” Mazzulla revealed. “We had our first one the morning of the Cleveland (Cavaliers) game (on Nov. 19). I think it was on a Sunday, and then we had the memo and then we had one obviously the other day. Obviously, when something like that happens, you’re much more heightened to the awareness so just being educated on all the small steps that you can take. A lot of it’s out of your control, but there’s things that you can do. Like I said, whether it’s been the front office or our security team or whether it’s been the local police department, they’re doing a good job educating us on how we can get better.”