Brad Stevens explains why he believes that Joe Mazzulla is the best head coach for the Celtics moving forward. He later confirms that Mazzulla will remain the head coach for next season.
If we learned anything about Joe Mazzulla during his first season as Boston Celtics head coach, it's that he's a fierce competitor. And that competitive streak led him to explore all avenues of self-improvement -- including martial arts.
Since taking over as the Celtics' interim (and eventually full-time) head coach last September, Mazzulla has been training in jiu-jitsu, a Brazilian martial art somewhat akin to wrestling that emphasizes grappling and ground fighting. The 35-year-old works with trainer Alex Costa at the Gracie Barra Boston martial arts school and says the instruction he's received from Costa has a direct application to his day job as an NBA coach.
"It’s one of the hardest things I’ve done," Mazzulla told ESPN's Michael Eaves in a video interview published Friday. "What the art really gives is the study of transitions, and that really helps me because in a game and in a season, there’s transitions and decision making.
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"You’re actually learning how not to fight. You’re learning how to handle situations. You’re learning how to problem solve."
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Mazzulla did plenty of problem-solving last season; while he led the Celtics to a 57-25 regular season record and the Eastern Conference's No. 2 seed, he drew some criticism for Boston's inconsistent play in the postseason, which ended in a Game 7 loss to the Miami Heat in the East Finals.
The Celtics have committed to Mazzulla as their head coach going forward, however, and Mazzulla is committed to practicing jiu-jitsu, a discipline he first picked up in 2017 while coaching at Fairmont State but paused in 2019 when he first joined Boston's staff as an assistant coach.
"When you become a coach, you spend so much time leading others and helping others that you almost neglect yourself," Mazzulla told Eaves. "The question I had was, 'Who’s coaching you?'"
Mazzulla appears to have a valuable mentor in Costa, who is a Celtics fan and came to TD Garden last season to watch his mentee in action.
"I would take it a step further and say I'm a better person," Mazzulla said when asked if jiu-jitsu has made him a better coach. "To me, in order to become a better coach or player, you have to become a better person.
"The best quote Alex had was, 'The mats reveal who you really are.' And I think that will help me become a better coach along the way."
