{"id":705493,"date":"2026-04-08T16:08:15","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T16:08:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/705493\/"},"modified":"2026-04-08T16:08:15","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T16:08:15","slug":"joe-mazzulla-responds-to-lofty-praise-from-giannis-antetokounmpo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/705493\/","title":{"rendered":"Joe Mazzulla Responds To Lofty Praise From Giannis Antetokounmpo"},"content":{"rendered":"

Joe Mazzulla has been getting a lot of praise for the incredible job he’s done with the Boston Celtics<\/a> this year, and rightfully so. Despite losing several stars over the offseason and Jayson Tatum for most of the season, Mazzulla has led the “gap year” Celtics to the fourth-best record in basketball, positioning them to potentially win their second title in three years<\/a>.<\/p>\n

After benefiting from star-studded rosters during his first three seasons, Mazzulla has proved he can win with anyone, cementing his reputation as one of the NBA’s top coaches.<\/p>\n

Mazzulla’s impressive performance has turned heads throughout the league, including\u00a0Giannis Antetokounmpo’s<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“Like you saw, I talked with coach Joe Mazzulla,”\u00a0Antetokounmpo recently told\u00a0Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel<\/a>.\u00a0“I said, ‘You had so many opportunities to make excuses, but you didn\u2019t.’ (The Celtics started the season slow.) And he said, ‘Oh, they\u2019re good players.’ I said, no. It\u2019s about the mentality that you instilled in your place.”<\/p>\n

Mazzulla addressed the Milwaukee Bucks superstar<\/a>‘s lofty praise prior to Tuesday’s win over the Charlotte Hornets.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Joe Mazzulla on Giannis Antetokounmpo shouting him out and the mindset of the Celtics this season:<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously a great player, but I think my reaction was like, \u2018You can’t do anything unless you have players.\u2019 And I think that’s it may sound say a lot, but it’s just that simple.\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/JxDZz3fofd<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Ian Inangelo (@iinangelo) April 7, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

“Obviously a great player, but I think my reaction was like, \u2018You can’t do anything unless you have players.\u2019 And I think that’s it may sound say a lot, but it’s just that simple,” Mazzulla said during his pregame press conference<\/a>. “I think the greatest gift you can have as a coach, especially the NBA, is to have a group of players that have a high competitive character, care about winning and want to get better.”<\/p>\n

Mazzulla certainly has that spirit in this year’s group, which plays hard and wants to win every night. That’s why they’ve overachieved so much, going 54-25 in a year where many thought they wouldn’t make the playoffs.<\/p>\n

Still, the response was classic Mazzulla. He always deflects credit <\/a>and uses it as an opportunity to praise his players instead, knowing they’re the ones who ultimately win and lose games on the court. He’s helped them reach their full potential, though, and that’s what makes him such a great coach.<\/p>\n

More NBA:\u00a0Jaylen Brown Addresses Jayson Tatum’s Dramatic Return To Enemy Territory<\/a><\/p>\n