Joe Mazzulla is no stranger to embracing adversity for the Boston Celtics and providing unorthodox quotes to prove it.
He loves it even more for his players, particularly when Celtics star Jayson Tatum dealt with a multitude of criticism during a championship run last season. Netflix spoke to Mazzulla about how his star managed that pressure. His response was about what is expected from the Celtics head coach.
“He gets to deal with it,” Mazzulla shared in the “Starting 5” docuseries. “That’s the ultimate compliment. That’s what we talk about. This is what you asked for. You asked to be one of the best players in the NBA on the best team in the NBA with an opportunity to be an icon for the league for a long, long time. This is what you asked for.”
Tatum rose above the critics, helping the Celtics defeat the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals with 31 points in the Game 5 clincher at home.
Mazzulla, Tatum and the Celtics begin their path to defend the title and capture Banner 19 on Oct. 22 at TD Garden against the New York Knicks.