When Joe Mazzulla was at NBC Sports activities Boston’s Media Day desk, he was requested if he was already recreation planning for this season whereas on the duck boats on the championship parade. He replied, “I imply, we have been chanting ‘protection!’, simply trigger I feel it’s an vital identification to have and I feel that the identical degree of depth that the parade introduced is the extent of depth you could have all through a season so there’s positively a connection there. That’s vital.”
He was lifeless severe — he didn’t chuckle or smile as soon as throughout his reply.
Most coaches would have chuckled on the query and mentioned one thing generic like ‘yea, I used to be’ after which the host would have mentioned, ‘you possibly can by no means take your teaching hat off’ and the coach would have politely mentioned, ‘guess not.’
Not Joe Mazzulla, who tells you about how he was chanting “protection” — at a parade, not throughout a recreation, however at a parade — and the way the staff must carry that very same depth to the season.
That is what I like a lot about Mazzulla. He’s so unapologetically himself on a regular basis.
He was additionally requested if he loved the offseason at his press convention.
Joe Mazzulla: “I would not say I loved the offseason. I loved the parade.”
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) September 24, 2024
Now, you can make the argument that Joe ought to have loved the championship a bit extra this offseason, however then Joe wouldn’t be Joe.
All of us bear in mind Derrick White calling him a “sicko” throughout final yr’s Finals. At Media Day, it was Jayson Tatum giving us one other Mazzulla gem when speaking about being benched through the Olympics.
Jayson Tatum: “I talked to Joe quite a bit. Joe was in all probability the happiest individual on the planet that I didn’t win Finals MVP and I didn’t play in two of the video games on the Olympics. That was odd. But when you understand Joe, it is sensible.”
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) September 24, 2024
Joe Mazzulla is unorthodox and quirky. He marches to the beat of his personal drum. He doesn’t care what folks say about him; he simply retains profitable and doing it his personal manner.
That’s what makes Joe Mazzulla Joe Mazzulla.
Watch Mazzulla’s full presser from Media Day right here:
And his full sit-down with NBC Sports activities Boston right here:
