Los Boston Celtics They are feeling no pressure as they prepare for the start of their title defense this Tuesday night. With the team set to raise its 18th banner ahead of its regular season opener against the New York Knicks, coach Joe Mazzulla He assured that there is no pressure in Boston to repeat as champions.
“We’re all going to be dead soon, and it doesn’t matter anymore,” Mazzulla told reporters Monday. “So there’s no pressure. You have the opportunity to take the organization forward, to redouble the tradition and history of what this team represents. What more could you expect than someone expecting you to win all the time?”
Last year, the Celtics cruised smoothly through the regular season, finishing with the best record in the Eastern Conference by 14 games, and then swept the playoffs going 16-3. Led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the team returns with its full starting lineup and most of its bench, consolidating itself as the favorites to win the championship again.
Mazzulla stressed that pressure is not a factor in his approach. “It’s not pressure,” he explained. “There is nothing anyone in this circle can do to me that impacts my identity or who I am as a person or a coach. We either win or we don’t win, and 40 years from now, none of you are invited to my funeral and that’s it.”
season debut
For his part, point guard Payton Pritchard pointed out that to be considered among the Celtics’ greats, the team must win another championship. “A lot of people can do it once,” Pritchard said. “I know winning a championship is hard, but there are a lot of people who have won one. But to win it multiple times, to create something like a dynasty, that’s hard to do. That’s greatness, and it’s something we’re trying to achieve.” “.
The road to greatness begins against the Knicks, who have positioned themselves as one of the Celtics’ main competitors in the East, especially after acquiring Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges. However, Mazzulla trusts his team and their preparation. “I trust who they are,” he said. “I think they understand both what they accomplished and what we’re trying to do. All the intangibles that lead you to win have to continue from season to season. You have to appreciate it, but also know what got you there, because if you forget that, you’ll never you will return
