Last season was an incredible season for the Boston Celtics as they became the most successful NBA team when they claimed their 18th championship. While winning a title is a significant achievement, head coach Joe Mazzulla, during Celtics Media Day shared his thoughts on the offseason.
During the media chat, Joe Mazzulla emphasized that despite being the reigning champions, the Celtics’ mindset would not change based on their previous success. He highlighted the importance of staying grounded and forward-focused, regardless of how last season ended.
Whether we would have lost last year, our goal would be to win a championship this year. We want to win a championship every single year. That’s the goal… the standard… the expectation, so what happened in the past really doesn’t change when we step foot in the building. On this day, it’s to win a championship.
Joe Mazzulla said to the media
“We want to win a championship every single year. That’s the goal, that’s the standard, that’s the expectation.”
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla on the team’s mindset heading into this upcoming season 🗣️
(via @danield1214) pic.twitter.com/l6qFl5ZP15
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 24, 2024
The Boston Celtics are aware that this season would be a tough one and with targets on their back, they are ready to attack for the title. Central to that would be the efforts of star duo, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Both players had a difficult summer with Brown being snubbed by Team USA when Kawhi Leonard got injured. For Tatum, his star-showing for the Celtics didn’t assure him a starting spot, instead two DNPs at the Paris Summer Olympics.
Jayson Tatum on how head coach Joe Mazzulla reacted to his Olympics DNP
Jayson Tatum has been a major topic of discussion since the C’s won its first championship since 2008, from being snubbed for the Finals MVP. His relationship with teammate Jaylen Brown has been called into question since then.
Furthermore, he also faced adversity during Team USA’s Olympic gold medal run, where he was benched in two games. During the recent media day, he was asked about head coach Joe Mazzulla’s reaction to the challenges he faced this summer, where he offered insight into the supportive relationship he shared with his coach.
Jayson Tatum speaks on his playing time with Team USA during the Paris Olympics:
“Motivation. I guess you could say that if you want to simplify it. In real time it was tough. I talked to Joe [Mazzulla] a lot. Joe was probably the happiest person in the world that I didn’t win… pic.twitter.com/vzW4ENY9qI
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 24, 2024
I talked to Joe a lot. Joe was probably the happiest person in the world that I didn’t win Finals MVP and I didn’t play in two games at the Olympics. That was odd. But if you know Joe, it makes sense.
Jayson Tatum recently said to the reporters
As a result, both Tatum and Brown enter the new season with plenty of motivation with Tatum aiming to silence his critics. The Celtics who are the favorites once again are determined to defend their title with renewed focus and drive.
