Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla has revealed that his team is under zero pressure to replicate their previous championship run this season. The Celtics won their 17th NBA title after beating the Dallas Mavericks in the last editions’ NBA finals.
The Celtics will begin their NBA title defense against the New York Knicks on Tuesday and they will be determined to hit the ground running in a new season.
“We’re all going to be dead soon, and it really doesn’t matter anymore. So there’s zero pressure,” he told reporters Monday. “You have an opportunity to carry the organization forward, to double down on the tradition and history of what this organization has. And what else would you expect than someone expecting you to win all the time?”
The Celtics had a 64-18 record in the regular season in the previous season to top the Eastern Conference. The defending champions also had a 16-3 record in the playoffs.
“It’s not pressure,” Mazzulla said. “There’s nothing anyone in this circle can do to me that’s going to impact my identity and who I am as a person or a coach. We’re either going to win or we’re not, and 40 years from now, none of you are invited to my funeral and that’s it.”
Meanwhile, Celtics guard Payton Pritchard feels that to be considered among the Celtics greats, they will need to win another NBA ring.
“A lot of people can do it once,” Pritchard said. “I know a championship’s hard, but there’s a lot of people who have won one. But winning it multiple times, creating almost like a dynasty, that’s hard to do. So that’s greatness, and that’s something we’re trying to achieve.”
Mazzulla said that his team is ready for the upcoming season and will look to tick the right boxes.
“I trust who they are. I think they have an understanding of both ‘this is what we accomplished’ and ‘this is what we’re trying to do,’” the coach said. “All the intangibles that go into winning should carry over from one season to another season.
“You have to appreciate it. But you’ve got to know what got you there and if you forget what got you there, you’ll never get back.”
