Joe Mazzulla, the head coach of the Boston Celtics, is perhaps one of the NBA’s most quotable figures. Mazzulla is a terrific interview and press conference host because of his sardonic demeanor and caustic sense of humor. Derrick White of the Boston Celtics recounted his coach’s direct reaction upon being named NBA Coach of the Month.
During a Thursday post-practice interview, White was questioned about his best-loved or most remembered Joe Mazzulla comment. Earlier in the season, the Colorado product tweeted a humorous answer from his 35-year-old coach.
White said: “When he won Coach of the Month and I was like, ‘Hey, congratulations.’ And he just looked at me and said, ‘Nobody cares.’ Something like that,”
The Boston Celtics and Joe Mazzulla are one victory away from winning the NBA title. In the 2024 NBA Finals, the Boston Celtics enjoy a dominant 3-0 lead over the Dallas Mavericks. On Friday night at the American Airlines Center in Game 4, they can seal the deal.
Since Ime Udoka was banned and then sacked as the Celtics head coach last season, Joe Mazzulla has had an unusual trip. Against the Miami Heat, who were ranked eighth, he guided Boston to the Eastern Conference playoffs.
But after a seven-game series, Erik Spoelstra outcoached Joe Mazzulla, and the Heat advanced to the NBA Finals. There were others who doubted if the West Virginia native was the appropriate player for the Celtics.
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Joe Mazzulla Once Revealed His Strategy to Motivate the Team
Mazzulla disclosed at his pregame news conference on Wednesday that he gets his team motivated by UFC fights. Mazzulla recently used the fight video from UFC 300, where Alex Pereira, the light heavyweight champion, took out Jamahal Hill.
Perreira took a low blow, but he didn’t tell the referee, and a few seconds later, he beat Hill with a well-timed left hook. Then he made a comparison with another fighter who had complained about being hit below the belt and ultimately being submitted.
Joe Mazzulla said: “The guy gets hit in the nts, complains to the ref and complains to the referee and gets distracted and then he gets choked out the next round, so he lost his focus. You see Pereira gets hit in the nts, looks at the referee, knocks the guy out five seconds later. So it’s the approach to what happens to you and how you handle it.”
The Celtics are just one victory away from capturing their 18th NBA title and first since 2008. They lost against the Golden State Warriors in 2022 despite having a chance to raise the championship.