Joe Mazzulla: “I always believed that I would become a head coach in the NBA”

On the heels of their exceptional second half of the season punctuated by a loss in the Finals, Boston has continued to dominate the Eastern Conference, and even the NBA, since the start of the season. The cohesion and stability of the franchise were however undermined during the offseason, when the leaders of the franchise were forced to suspend Ime Udoka following the discovery of his extramarital affair with a member of his staff.

Promoted, temporarily to start, Joe Mazzulla has therefore achieved a nice feat by maintaining the same dynamic for his first mission as head coach in the NBA, at the age of 34. The NBA has also distinguished him by awarding him the title of coach of the month, for October and November.

“I am grateful for this award. Winning Coach of the Month shows how hard our team works and the trust and bond we have with the players.”did he declare at Andscape.

In the continuity of Ime Udoka… and Brad Stevens

The new coach notably returned to his unexpected and dazzling rise, even if he always kept in mind the idea of ​​one day becoming the main coach in the most prestigious league in the world.

“I always had the belief that I would become a head coach in the NBA. I believed in myself, but I didn’t know it was going to happen so quickly. I didn’t know it was going to happen in Boston. But I felt it, that it would happen at some point. At least, I was hoping for it.he confided, adding that he did not hesitate despite the delicate context vis-à-vis the suspension of Ime Udoka, his former “superior”. “You can’t really control how the opportunity will present itself. And so for me, I’ve always tried to eliminate emotions, because they’re fleeting and distract you. There is passion. If you eliminate the emotion, only the truth remains. And so, when it came up, I was like, ‘That’s the way it is’. There’s nothing I can do about it. The only thing I can control is how I act.”

His first speech was obviously very appreciated by Jayson Tatum and his teammates. The idea was to allow players to be able to say everything, especially about the differences between his methods and those of Ime Udoka, the main objective being to try to establish the most transparent relationship possible with his group.

For him, the key to his good relationship with the team lies in “honesty and listening”.

“I tell guys all the time that it’s a collaboration. A lot of these guys have been in the league for a long time and they know it. They know the ups and downs, the scouting reports, the trends. So you have to listen. You have to ask questions. What do you see ? What do you want ? What is important? Where do you think we can be better? And then it’s about finding little areas of, ‘OK, here’s how we have to do it.’ So I think it’s important to listen and be as honest as possible, with no qualms.”he added.

While he learned from his first experience as Brad Stevens’ assistant for two years, he also drew inspiration from Ime Udoka’s methods to build his own identity as a head coach.

“Ime had a lot of composure. He had a lot of experience, and he was very patient. Very. At times, when I was an assistant, I was like, ‘Damn it!’ We went through a difficult period at the start of last season, he was not far from succeeding. He showed his ability to be patient in those moments, to empower the players. He had a crazy gift for remembering everything that happened in a match.he recalled. “Working with Brad Stevens for two years, I got to see his methodical side, the preparation, a facet of the job that I don’t think I’d be as good or comfortable in my position if I didn’t. hadn’t encountered the two. If I had Ime for a year but not Brad, I would be incomplete, and vice versa. And so, being able to benefit from these two sides of the NBA, so to speak, has helped me to be more comfortable in this position.

An “interim” coach well in his sneakers

Even if everything has been going well in Boston for almost two months, his position remains fragile despite everything, vis-à-vis the requirement of results as well as his personal situation, as an interim coach. But it’s not a situation that tenses him up or adds any particular pressure on his shoulders.

“There’s not really any pressure. For me, it’s just a responsibility. I have a responsibility to Brad Stevens, to the Celtics, to the lore, to the players, to the franchise, to the owners, to do whatever it takes to give this team the best shot at winning another title. And you can’t stop until it happens. For me, it’s just a responsibility. And when I’m in those moments, the only thing left for me to do is fight.”

The same goes for his future, as he officially remains an “interim” coach and the possibility of his fairy tale suddenly coming to an end after a year of practice exists.

“Honestly, I don’t care. Whether you are (namely) or not, you are still a temp. It comes down to the question of what is the truth. The truth is, it’s just a name. Whether I have a five-year contract or a one-year contract, I can be fired at any time”.