The head coaching move made by the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday sent ripples throughout the NBA that were felt all the way across the country by Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla.
Prior to the Celtics' thrilling 119-117 overtime victory against the New York Knicks on Tuesday night, Mazzulla was asked for his thoughts on Denver's decision to relieve Michael Malone of his duties as head coach when we are just a week away from the end of the regular season. As we have grown accustomed to seeing from Mazzulla over the course of his time in Boston, the Celtics' head coach offered up a thought-provoking response that put the game of basketball, and life, in perspective.
“To me, I wake up everyday saying this could be my last day," Mazzulla said, per Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. "You have to have that type of perspective because it gives you gratitude. It also keeps you hungry. You have to have a healthy balance of you want this for a long as you can. At the same time, you are very much replaceable because that’s just how it works. Every day I remind myself of my own mortality, and I think that's what keeps me in a perspective and a gratitude of the opportunity that you have."
This line of thinking is part of what makes Mazzulla such a great leader on the sidelines for the Celtics. A former player in his own right, Mazzulla understands the mindset of a current NBA player as well as anyone in the league and that has allowed him to push the right buttons during his tenure within Boston. It goes without saying that successes and failures in professional sports are tied to results and Mazzulla was clearly reminded by Malone's firing that whatever he has accomplished in the past means very little for what the future will hold for him with the Celtics.
Fortunately for Mazzulla, the Celtics are coming off of an NBA championship and find themselves on the cusp of a 60-win regular season with just a handful of games remaining on the schedule. While that should provide Mazzulla with a sense of security in his position, the former West Virginia Mountaineers standout is very aware that nothing is guaranteed to him or any other member of Boston's coaching staff and roster and that the results will ultimately dictate their respective futures.
We'll find out soon enough how Mazzulla and the Celtics handle the defense of their 2024 NBA championship as Boston is locked into the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference with the postseason rapidly approaching.