By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
During one of the latest lectures of the EuroLeague Head Coaches Board Academy, Boston Celtics‘ head coach Joe Mazzulla made a surprise appearance, talking about European basketball.
“EuroLeague is been an inspiration to me as a coach ever since I’ve gotten into coaching. I’ve taken European basketball conceptually, whether it’s off-ball cutting, the type of sets that you run versus certain coverages, how you call your plays, the defensive systems”, he first said.
He kept on praising the game. “Everything that we do here in the NBA starts in Europe because for America there’s less media coverage. If you see a European coach do it, you get a little jealous. Me and Kristaps [Porzingis] have a lot of conversations about European basketball. This is America, we’re a little bit behind”, he commented about talking about it with the Latvian superstar.
“The conceptual approach to a lot of the stuff you guys do is a major influence on me personally. I definitely pay attention to European basketball a ton, and I think the concepts there have inspired me”, Joe Mazzulla finally said.
Being officially named head coach of the Boston Celtics back in February 2023 after being assistant coach from 2019 to 2022, his team is now leading the Eastern Conference with a 41-12 record. The Cleveland Cavaliers, in second position, are at 35-17.
Things that happen at the EHCB Coaches Academy⁉️
🏀 @Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla joining in for a surprise lecture 😎 pic.twitter.com/Zd9EYaW3Kg
— EuroLeague Head Coaches Board – EHCB (@HeadCoachesOrg) February 13, 2024