The image had amused, but it will only remain a snapshot. The Celtics coach, Joe Mazzullasurprised by trying to contest a 3-point shot from Royce O'Neale during the match between Boston and Phoenix last Thursday.
While a time-out was requested by Phoenix, Royce O'Neale attempted a long shot without challenge, next to the C's bench, and Joe Mazzulla jumped to try to block the Suns player. “ I was told not to do it anymore » assured the coach in an interview for the radio 98.5 The Sports Hub.
The technician of the current leader of the NBA did not specify whether the instruction came from the Celtics or the NBA itself.
A symbolic gesture
“ I can not say it. All I know is I'm not gonna do it anymore » he insisted. While it is quite common to see players defend a shot even after a whistle, it is something else when it comes to the staff. “ It was totally a move to break down the barrier between the coaches and the players to say, 'Hey, we're all here to fight together and we all have a principle that we stick to.' »
“ We have little moments, within this franchise, to set the tone of what we want to be. We already did it last season and it's important for the team, the state of mind that we try to bring every day, that our opponents must never be comfortable. We don't want to give them any advantage, so I appreciate that the players let us be ourselves, and that the staff embraces that. »
Jayson Tatum agreed after the match. “Joe is like that” he explained. “When he did it, I wasn’t surprised. I expect him or one of the other coaches to do it. You have to love Joe for who he is. » From now on, it will be without attempts to counter…
