A relaxing getaway to the Bahamas or Hawaii might be where most people working in the NBA choose to spend the All-Star break, unlike Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla who headed for Manchester, England.
Joe Mazzulla’s meeting with Pep Guardiola could be the key to a Celtics championship
Last year, Mazzulla kicked off his career as head coach of the Boston Celtics by leading his side to an NBA-best record of 42-17 prior to the All-Star break.
This earned him the role as head coach of the victorious Team Giannis in the All-Star game, where Mazzulla’s star man Jayson Tatum scored a record 55 points and won Most Valuable Player.
This year, the Celtics entered the All-Star break with the best record in the league by a landslide but after coaching in the 2023 renewal, Mazzulla was ineligible – therefore, enough time for a short vacation.
The 35-year-old, who is the youngest head coach in the NBA, opted to take a trip across the Atlantic and pick the brain of who he believes to be the “best coach at any level in any sport.”
Pep Guardiola, manager of Premier League giants Manchester City, is widely regarded as one of the greatest coaches of all time. The Spaniard has won 16 major titles at City since 2016, making him the most successful manager in Europe during that period.
Al Horford and Derrick White often tune in to Man City matches before Celtics games
In a clip where Mazzulla spoke with some Manchester City players, the head coach said Al Horford and Derrick White often watch the Sky Blues before Boston step out onto the parquet.
“Me, Al [Horford] and Derrick [White] – three o’clock when we get to the arena – the (City) game’s on. We have a rule, if Man City win – we usually win.”
Joe Mazzulla tells Man City’s players that the Celtics draw inspiration from their actions on the pitch.
Also says that he, Al Horford, and Derrick White often watch their matches before Celtics games. And if Man City wins, Boston wins. pic.twitter.com/2Zje90LzFu
— Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) February 22, 2024
Mazzulla cites Guardiola as a ‘huge influence’ as Boston target first title since 2008
Mazzulla told The Athletic he studies a lot of Manchester City games and sees similarities between soccer and the game of basketball – like both sports being a continuum with offense and defense existing together.
“Soccer and basketball, when I watch it, it’s kind of the same sport from that tactical standpoint of how do you create advantages? How do you create two-on-ones? How do you recognize weaknesses in the defense and how do you take advantage of angles?”
“That is what the game of basketball is about, to me, and what counterattacking in soccer is about. So I study a lot of Man City. I study Pep a lot. I think he’s the best coach at any level, in any sport. It’s had a huge influence (on me).”
Can Guardiola’s wisdom push the Celtics over the line and justify championship favoritism?
As per the best NBA betting sites, for a second year running the Boston Celtics are title favorites. After beginning the year at odds of +400, the Celtics are now as short as +250.
Boston are by far and away the best team in the league, boasting a 45-12 record as we approach the business end of the regular season with 65 wins in sight.
After an agonising defeat in the Finals two years ago and disappointment in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2023, the Celtics are battle tested and ready for their time in the sun.
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