Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla is known for his passionate style. With the press, he is curt and direct. With his players and staff, he is deeply emotive, even if that means being intensely stoic. In his first year as a professional coach, Mazzulla’s reputation is setting in as a man of vigor.
During the opening round of the NBA playoffs, Mazzulla was asked if his style might miss the mark. Was his message registering with his players the press wondered? “It’s the playoffs,” Mazzulla said to the media ahead of the start of Game 1. “There’s no such thing as too intense.”
