There have been coaches who gained legendary status while standing on the sidelines in the NBA. Leading teams to championships, pushing a player to their maximum potential, and delivering overall success are just some things that separate the good from the very great. However, idolizing a soccer coach and using his techniques to win championships is something unusual in basketball, and the Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla has been doing it.
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Manchester City’s head coach Pep Guardiola had a great influence on Mazzulla. The Celtics coach even went so far as to call Guardiola the best coach there is, in all of sports and at every level.
Mazzulla believed that the offensive and defensive aspects of the game need not be on their different levels. Basketball and soccer became more of a transition game, with the emphasis being on versatility over the years.
Boston Celtics veteran Al Horford credited his coach for making the entire team watch soccer game films, specifically Pep’s Barcelona clips where the ball gets moved around for the best possible shot attempt.
“Pep, his style, it’s like that same Barcelona style, getting everybody involved, getting everybody touching the ball.”
The videos mostly highlighted the emphasis on ball rotation among players on the floor or the ground. And that is what Horford took away from head coach Joe Mazzulla’s attempts to use soccer to influence basketball. This is what Mazzulla had to say while talking to The Athletic.
“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.”
Pep Guardiola is often termed as one of the greatest managers of all time. A former player himself, Guardiola has an impressive resume, but unlike him, Joe Mazzulla is more focused on how to bridge the gap between the offense and defense.
Something the Guardiola can accomplish through ball rotation. Hence, Celtics head coach, Mazzulla has been looking for players who can do a little bit of everything on the floor to push the limits of versatility.
Legendary soccer coach’s impact on Celtics’ Joe Mazzulla
Before Joe Mazzulla held the clipboard on the sidelines, it was Ime Udoka who was the head coach for the Boston Celtics. After Udoka’s departure, Mazzulla was pushed from being the team’s assistant coach to the main voice for his players.
Mazzulla has been doing a great job as the head coach of the Boston Celtics since he took over. The young 35-year-old coach has led his team to the best record in the Eastern Conference and the league, standing at 45-12.
He also led the Celtics to the Eastern Conference Semifinals appearance where they eventually perished to the Miami Heat. But the Celtics are back on top once again, currently on an eight-game winning streak, looking to make it to the Finals and win it all under their young coach.
Having an obsession with Pep Guardiola’s playing style, what Joe Mazzulla picks up and implements in the coming Celtics games or the playoffs would give fans an idea of how successful his ideas actually were.
