Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla has revealed his quirky technique for connecting with his players

Joe Mazzulla recently went in-depth to explain how practicing jiu-jitsu has made him a better coach for his teams. For those who may not know, Mazzulla is the head coach of the Boston Celtics and led the team to the best record in the entire NBA this season.

Since Majulla is younger and less experienced than most head coaches in the NBA, fans are undoubtedly the key to him finding success and helping his team get on the same page during the regular season. With that being said, let’s find out what he had to say on the matter in a recent interview.

Joe Majulla looks to jiu-jitsu to recreate the simulation of stress and pressure

There is no denying that a significant gap exists between players and coaches. After all, their contribution to a game-winning team is vastly different. Although Joe Majulla doesn’t step on the court and deal with the stress and struggles that stars like Jayson Tatum go through, he reveals that going through jiu-jitsu sessions and being held in a chokehold helped him understand the stress.

“Once my dad pa*sed and my kids started growing up, I started to like rekindle the pa*sion for the arts.. and then I got a job and I got to coach the Celtics like you’re in a fu*kin fight every day so come on. Just imitate…So my a*sistant and I, we found a jujutsu instructor and I immediately fell in love with the guy…”

Joe Majulla talks to Jiu-Jitsu @PardonMyTake:

“It gives me a way to connect with the guys — it gives me a way to empathize, like I know what they’re going through… If I can get the crap out of me from time to time, it just helps me get better.” pic.twitter.com/tzZprlRhuK

— Noah Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzellNBA) April 19, 2024

This is undoubtedly a unique or even eccentric method of going through a martial arts session to simulate the stress or pressure that players deal with on a regular basis. After all, the differences between Jiu-Jutsu and NBA basketball are quite significant and cannot really be compared. Regardless, Majulla believes it creates some empathy and a sense of connection between himself and his teammates.

Majulla claims it allows him to empathize with members of the Boston Celtics roster

While martial arts training and sparring sessions are very different from NBA-level basketball, it’s still significantly better than doing nothing and bossing or lecturing players without lifting a finger. Joe Mazzulla went on to claim that his own training allowed for a sense of camaraderie between him and the players.

“I give our players so much credit for being on the field all the time that I feel like one of the ways I connect with them is to feel like them… It gives me a way to empathize, like I know no coach understands what their players are going through. What sacrifices they are making physically and mentally. So if I can get the sh*t out of me from time to time, it’s only going to help me get better.”

Fans can certainly debate whether Majulla could feel like a player going through brutal training sessions with his own personal martial arts sessions. At the end of the day, his unique way of empathizing with his team has definitely led to a fair amount of success this season. One must wonder if that will translate into the postseason and help the Celtics win a championship.