Mazzulla has a specific answer to how he interacts with rival coaches originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla knows to never give your opponents any advantage, no matter how big or small.
So don’t expect him to go out of his way to be best friends with opposing head coaches during the NBA season.
Mazzulla is cordial and respectful with his fellow league coaches, but he told reporters Friday that he does not go out of his way to be friendly with rival coaches because “it is very important not to reveal psychological clues”.
That includes Charles Lee, who was an assistant coach on Mazzulla’s staff with the Celtics last season before leaving this summer. become the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets.
“I told Charles when he left, ‘I’m not talking to you during the season. I don’t salute you during the national anthem. I don’t do that. You are an enemy,’” Mazzulla said, as seen in the video player above.
“So he broke NBA rules and came into the assistant coaches locker room and forced me to give him a hug. This could easily be a psychological sign that is causing you to lose your competitive game. So he knew what he was doing.
Fortunately for the Celtics, they won the two consecutive matches against the Hornets in Charlotte on November 1 and 2.
Most NBA players are good friends, and many of them will hug in one way or another after games. Head coaches do it too, especially when they have known each other for a long time or worked on the same staff at one point.
However, we probably won’t see Mazzulla being this friendly very often. And frankly, that’s a perfectly reasonable way to go. There’s always time to get together and be friends during the offseason.
The Celtics started their title defense strong with a 10-3 record, good enough for second place in the Eastern Conference behind the 13-0 Cleveland Cavaliers. Mazzulla and the C’s will be back in action Saturday night when they host the Toronto Raptors at TD Garden.
