In just his third season as head coach of the Celtics, Joe Mazzulla has firmly cemented himself as the NBA’s most interesting man.
A year and a half after The Jugo Mobile’ Steph Noh outlined Mazzulla’s one-of-a-kind intensity and humor, the championship head coach somehow finds ways to outdo himself. This time, Mazzulla has caught the sports world’s attention with an interesting take on what basketball needs more of.
What did Mazzulla say about potential rule changes in basketball? Here is why his latest zany suggestion is making headlines across sports.
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What did Joe Mazzulla say?
During his weekly appearance on Boston’s “Zolak and Bertrand” radio show, Mazzulla was asked if he’d propose any rule changes in the NBA. To no surprise, he was immediately ready to respond with answers that drew from other sports.
“Basketball is one of the only sports that doesn’t have a power play,” Mazzulla responded. “We should have a power play … let’s say you get a technical [foul] or a take foul and you get the one shot, but you’re not really rewarded for that because if you miss it, you don’t get the reward.”
Mazzulla cited examples of power plays in hockey and soccer and suggested that NBA teams should be disadvantaged by being down one player for five seconds or a set number of passes before the fifth player can return to the court. He did make sure to clarify that a full possession would be too extreme.
He wasn’t done there, either. Mazzulla took things to another level.
“The biggest thing that we rob people of from an entertainment standpoint is we can’t fight anymore,” he continued. “We should just bring back fighting.”
He then drew examples from fights in baseball and hockey.
“What’s more entertaining than a little scuffle?” Mazzulla asked. “I just don’t get why some sports are allowed to clear the benches. They have bats and weapons —we don’t — we just have a ball. The other sport has one of the hardest surfaces and playing instrument in a puck and sticks and yet we’re not allowed to throw down a little bit.”
Joe Mazzulla has a few interesting rule change ideas for the NBA… he wants the league to add a power play, and to bring back fighting ?@ZoandBertrand pic.twitter.com/6czizVLe33
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) October 29, 2024
It’s no secret that Mazzulla appreciates the art of tasteful combat. While his quotes seem to lean into the “basketball sicko” persona he has been given by NBA fans on social media, they align with some of his quotes and actions in the past.
Mazzulla practices jiu-jitsu at the Celtics facility, has attended UFC events, shows fights during film sessions and has a very unique set of beliefs regarding fouls in the NBA.
On First We Feast, Jaylen Brown said that one of Joe Mazzulla’s favorite quotes is:
“There’s no such thing as a foul. Either you die or you don’t.”
— Noa Dalzell ? (@NoaDalzell) October 3, 2024
However unique or unorthodox Mazzulla’s approach to coaching may be, it’s working. After leading the Celtics to an NBA title in 2024, he’s gotten the team out to a 4-0 start to the new season and they look like they may be better than they were a year ago.
He’s an effective coach but don’t expect Mazzulla’s rule suggestions to be enacted any time soon.
