D. J. MacLeay

Last updated
D. J. MacLeay
Boston Celtics
PositionAssistant coach
League NBA
Personal information
Born (1994-10-06) October 6, 1994 (age 30)
San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
High school Ronald Reagan
(San Antonio, Texas)
College Bucknell (2013–2017)
NBA draft 2017: undrafted
Position Power forward / center
Coaching career2022–present
Career history
As coach:
2022–present Boston Celtics (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
As assistant coach:

David Jess MacLeay (born October 6, 1994) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Contents

High school career

MacLeay grew up in San Antonio and attended Ronald Reagan High School. At Reagan, MacLeay lettered three times each in basketball and track and field. On the basketball team, MacLeay was team captain and earned all-state and all-region honors while on the team. As a senior, MacLeay averaged 16 points and 11 rebounds per game for Reagan High School.

MacLeay was in the 2013 basketball recruiting class and was ranked as a 2-star recruit by 247Sports and ESPN. According to both 247Sports and ESPN, MacLeay was only offered by Bucknell and he committed to play for Bucknell in September 2012.

College career

MacLeay played for Bucknell for four seasons, from 2013 to 2017. [1]

In his freshman year, MacLeay appeared in 16 games off the bench for the Bison, averaging 1.5 points per game.

In his sophomore year at Bucknell, MacLeay averaged 3.6 points and appeared in 30 games for Bucknell. He set a career-high in scoring with 12 points in a win against Case Western Reserve. In a loss against Villanova, MacLeay recorded a career-high in rebounds with 11. His 11 rebounds against Villanova was the 4th-highest in Bucknell school history against a ranked opponent at the time. During his sophomore year, the Bison were Patriot League regular season champions.

In MacLeay's junior year at Bucknell he appeared in 31 games and averaged a career-high 5.2 points per game. He recorded a new career-high in scoring with 15 points in a win over Lafayette. MacLeay's junior year was the best of his collegiate career, excelling in a back-up role for Bucknell shooting 63.3% from the field and averaging 3.6 rebounds per game, both also career-highs. As a junior, MacLeay's Bison were once again Patriot League regular season champions but did not qualify for the NCAA tournament.

In his senior season at Bucknell, MacLeay played in a career-high 33 games. Team success-wise it was the most successful season of MacLeay's collegiate career, with the Bison winning the 2017 Patriot League tournament and earning a spot in the 2017 NCAA tournament. In the 2017 NCAA tournament, Bucknell was the #13 seed and lost to West Virginia in the first round, which would be MacLeay's final collegiate game. During the season he also made his lone career start in the last game of the regular season against Navy.

Coaching career

MacLeay began his coaching career with the Philadelphia 76ers, being employed with the 76ers for four and a half years and serving as Philadelphia's video coordinator for three years. [2] He left the Sixers in 2021 to join the Boston Celtics.

In July 2021, it was reported that the Celtics were hiring MacLeay as a player enhancement coach under head coach Ime Udoka. [3] [4] He was promoted to assistant coach for the Celtics in July 2022. [5]

After Udoka left the Celtics, MacLeay was retained as a member of new head coach Joe Mazzulla’s coaching staff. [6] [7]

With the Celtics, MacLeay has worked with big men, such as center Kristaps Porzingis, throughout his time as a player enhancement coach and assistant coach with Boston. [8] MacLeay worked on the Celtics coaching staff alongside fellow assistant Charles Lee, who coached him at Bucknell and is a Bucknell alum himself. MacLeay became an NBA champion when the Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks in 5 games in the 2024 NBA Finals.

In July 2024, MacLeay was the head coach for the Celtics summer league team at the 2024 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. [9]

Personal life

Born October 6, 1994, in San Antonio, MacLeay is the son of Glenn and Kelle MacLeay. He has a younger sister Bethany. Attended Bucknell University where he graduated with a degree majoring in markets, innovation, and design. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raef LaFrentz</span> American basketball player

Raef Andrew LaFrentz is an American former professional basketball power forward and center who played for the Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics, and Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Born and raised in Iowa, LaFrentz attended the University of Kansas and was drafted in 1998 by the Denver Nuggets. He was known for his perimeter shooting and his shot blocking abilities. In 2019–20 LaFrentz became an assistant basketball coach at Decorah High School in Decorah, Iowa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dennis Johnson</span> American basketball player (1954–2007)

Dennis Wayne Johnson, nicknamed "DJ", was an American professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Seattle SuperSonics, Phoenix Suns, and Boston Celtics. He was a coach of the Los Angeles Clippers and an alumnus of Dominguez High School, Los Angeles Harbor College and Pepperdine University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ime Udoka</span> American basketball player and coach (born 1977)

Ime Sunday Udoka is a Nigerian-American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Born in the United States, he represented the Nigeria national team during his playing career. After retiring as a player, Udoka served as an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers, and Brooklyn Nets before becoming the head coach of the Boston Celtics, whom he led to the 2022 NBA Finals. After Udoka was suspended for the entire 2022–23 season for engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a Celtics female employee, he was hired by the Rockets in April 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al Horford</span> Dominican basketball player (born 1986)

Alfred Joel Horford Reynoso, nicknamed "Big Al", is a Dominican professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a five-time NBA All-Star and won the 2024 NBA Finals.

Charles Lee is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a two-time NBA champion, having won his first championship with the Milwaukee Bucks as an assistant coach. He was previously an assistant coach of the Boston Celtics, helping to coach them to the 2024 NBA Playoffs, where he won his second NBA Championship. A 6'3" guard from Bucknell University, he spent most of his professional career in Israel and Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brad Stevens</span> American basketball executive, coach and player (born 1976)

Bradley Kent Stevens is an American basketball executive and former coach who is currently the president of basketball operations and de facto general manager for the Boston Celtics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Courtney Lee</span> American basketball player (born 1985)

Courtney Lee is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball at Western Kentucky University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Muscala</span> American basketball player (born 1991)

Michael Peter Muscala is an American former professional basketball player. He played 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics, Washington Wizards, and Detroit Pistons. He played college basketball for the Bucknell Bison.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marcus Smart</span> American basketball player (born 1994)

Marcus Osmond Smart is an American professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Moser</span> American basketball player

Michael Alexander Moser is an American retired professional basketball player who is currently an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the University of Oregon as a senior. Moser was an All-American player at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) before transferring to Oregon in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kristaps Porziņģis</span> Latvian basketball player (born 1995)

Kristaps Porziņģis is a Latvian professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "The Unicorn", he is listed at 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) and plays as a power forward and center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaylen Brown</span> American basketball player (born 1996)

Jaylen Marselles Brown is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one year of college basketball for the California Golden Bears and was named first-team all-conference and Freshman of the Year in the Pac-12 Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amile Jefferson</span> American basketball player

Amile O. Jefferson is an American professional basketball coach and former player. He is an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics team of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils, where he served as a captain for three seasons, including for the 2014–15 NCAA championship team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garrison Mathews</span> American basketball player

Garrison Mathews is an American professional basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is commonly known by the nickname "Gary Bird", he played college basketball for the Lipscomb Bisons and was named the ASUN Conference Player of the Year for 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Mazzulla</span> American basketball coach (born 1988)

Joseph Mazzulla is an American professional basketball coach who is the head coach for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for West Virginia University.

The 2022–23 Boston Celtics season was the franchise's 77th season in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Celtics entered the season as the defending Eastern Conference and Atlantic Division champions, with hopes of claiming a record-breaking eighteenth NBA Championship, having lost to the Golden State Warriors in six games in the 2022 NBA Finals the season prior.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 NBA Finals</span> Edition of the NBA Finals

The 2024 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 2023–24 season and conclusion to the season's playoffs. The best-of-seven playoffs was played between the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics and the Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks. The series started on June 6, and concluded on June 17.

Matthew Reynolds is an American professional basketball coach who is an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Craig Luschenat is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

References

  1. "D.J. MACLEAY - 2016-17 MEN'S BASKETBALL ROSTER". Bucknell men's basketball. 2017. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  2. "Two Sixers assistants part ways with the team, taking player development positions with the Celtics and Pistons". The Philadelphia Inquirer. July 22, 2021. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
  3. "Report: Celtics hire D.J. MacLeay as new player enhancement coach". CelticsWire - USA Today Sports. July 23, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  4. "Celtics finalize coaching staff". Celtics Blog. Sep 21, 2021. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
  5. "Boston Celtics coaching staff". Boston Celtics. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  6. "Celtics Reportedly Retaining These Assistants Amid Coaching Changes". NESN. June 19, 2023. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  7. "Report hints at significant turnover on Celtics' coaching staff". NBC Sports Boston. May 31, 2023. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
  8. "NBA Notebook: Assistant coach D.J. MacLeay describes Kristaps Porzingis' impact on Celtics". Boston Sports Journal. January 20, 2024. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  9. "DJ Macleay on Joe Mazzulla naming him head coach of the Sin City Celtics". Celtics Wire USA Today. July 11, 2024. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  10. "DJ MACLEAY". National Basketball Coaches Association. Retrieved May 27, 2024.