Celtvestigation: Which HBO show did Joe Mazzulla try and put Eddie House onto?

Throughout this current 14-day Boston Celtics road trip, those of us watching games on NBC Sports Boston have been treated to Eddie House in the color commentary seat. The 2008 NBA champion has been a lot of fun to listen to alongside Drew Carter for the past week or so.

His style differs quite a bit from Brian Scalabrine, Carter’s regular broadcast teammate. House is a man of few words, but when he’s got something to say, it’ll either make you laugh or give a fresh perspective on the game.

So far, we’ve gotten some gems from Eddie, like his rant in garbage time of Monday’s blowout win over the Sacramento Kings. He was explaining to Drew how excited he gets to go to his favorite pizza spot when he’s out in California, but this time, they let him down. He ranted for at least a minute about how poorly the pizza was made on his recent visit, and it was fantastic content at 12:30 a.m.

House had yet another banger during Wednesday’s Celtics win over the Phoenix Suns. Late in the second quarter, he detailed the difference in Joe Mazzulla’s intensity when he’s on and off the court. According to House, Mazzulla is extremely friendly away from the game — so much so that he even recommended that Eddie check out a series on HBO.

Which one, you might ask?

Well, I’m sure Carter was wondering the same thing while the two sat through a pregnant pause on the broadcast, which ended with House taking the “no free plugs” route — and left us all wondering what show Joe Mazzulla has been raving about.

It’s time for another Celtvestigation.

HBO has been producing great shows consistently since 1997 (they made some before this, but this was where the genesis seems to be). There are plenty of programs that Joe could’ve suggested to House, but I’ll only touch on a few here.

The Big Boys

When I pitched this idea to the Celticsblog Slack, I was met with this fantastic take from Daniel Poarch.

“Joe rewatched The Sopranos for the 30th time and is recommending it to everyone who says three words to him.”

Mazzulla being obsessed with “The Sopranos” to this degree would be so on-brand for the Celtics coach. He’s someone who seems as if it’s impossible for him to do anything just halfway — he’s always all in.

Just think back to him saying that he watches “The Town” four times per week.

It’s not remotely difficult to fathom him being fascinated with the life of Tony Soprano and his multiple “families.”

Plus, he’s half-Italian, after all.

The problem with this being the recommendation he’d give House is that The Sopranos isn’t the sort of show you have to tell someone they should watch. I feel like people are well aware of it and will check it out if they’re interested. They’ve had the better part of 20 years to do so at this point, anyway.

With Mazzulla being someone who has said he’s always thinking of “how to win every single situation or environment,” he could very well be a big fan of “Succession.”

He’d probably revel in watching the Roy children consistently battle to see who would take over Waystar|Royco once Logan Roy steps down from the company.

Just a group of insane people who are always looking to get a leg up on the rest?

Yeah, that has Mazzulla written all over it.

The problem here is that, much like The Sopranos, this was a mega hit. It essentially stopped the world in 2023 when the series came to an end. It was all anyone could talk about.

If Eddie House somehow missed either of these, he’s got to be living under a rock.

The Funny Bones

Whether he’s intentional about it or not, there’s no doubt that Joe Mazzulla has a sense of humor. He’s delivered laughs at the podium plenty of times. Whether it’s his use of Spider-Man to describe how the Celtics work as a team, his explanation that he was simply wishing an official a “Merry Christmas” during a heated exchange, or his silly dynamic with Scal in pregame interviews, the man is hilarious.

There’s no doubt that he could appreciate a good comedy once in a while.

Could Mazzulla be a fan of “Barry?”

I could picture him being fascinated with the hitman who falls in love with acting. The series has a healthy mix of comedy and drama; it could keep him on his toes as he enjoys a nice laugh.

The show wasn’t as prominent as the big players above, but it still had a decent following. It would be believable, in my opinion, if this was the one that he’d suggested to House.

What if he tried putting Eddie onto “Curb Your Enthusiasm?”

Personally, this is one of my favorite scenarios, mainly because it’s one of my favorite shows.

Having seen the entire series, I feel like there are so many scenarios where Mazzulla could step in for Larry David.

Mind you, Joe is clearly someone with much stronger morals than Larry, but it fits.

Picture this. It’s January 4th, and you’ve just wished Joe a Happy New Year.

He just looks you dead in the eyes and says, “No thanks. You’re too late. After three days, I’m over the whole New Year’s thing.”

If I hadn’t seen Curb, and you told me this happened at a press conference, I’d totally believe you.

Much like The Sopranos and Succession, Curb would be pretty tough to miss. However, there’s a possibility that someone could’ve missed a few of the newer seasons, as they were released years apart.

Realistically, Mazzulla could’ve been telling House about “The White Lotus,” which is in the midst of its third season.

I personally have never seen it, but I know people online have been enjoying the weekly catch-ups with the various guests at the White Lotus resort.

There are plenty of others it could be. Game of Thrones, The Penguin, or perhaps Winning Time. The possibilities are truly endless with the decades of shows that HBO has put out.

What’s your pick for Joe Mazzulla’s HBO rec to Eddie House?