Joe Mazzulla Practices Jiu-Jitsu to Connect With Players

Joe Mazzulla is entering his second postseason as head coach of the Boston Celtics. In addition to coaching the Celtics to the best record in the NBA, the 35-year-old practices jiu-jitsu in his free time. 

On a recent episode of Pardon My Take, Mazzulla discussed his relationship with the martial art. 

“Once my dad and my kids started to get older, I started to rekindle the passions of the arts, like chess, piano, martial arts. I started to rekindle those with my kids, and then I get the job [as head coach of the Boston Celtics] and I’m like ‘alright’. Coaching the Celtics, you’re in a (expletive) fight every day, so let's just simulate that. Let’s rekindle my love of the arts. So, my  assistant and I, we find a jiu-jitsu instructor...” 

Mazzulla believes the outlet helps him relate to his players. 

"It gives me a way to connect with the guys — it gives me a way of being empathetic, like I know what they're going through... if I can get the (expletive) kicked out of me from time to time, it's only going to help me get better."

Warning: The following video contains the use of explicit language. Watch the full interview here.