Joe Mazzulla Responds To Lofty Praise From Giannis Antetokounmpo

Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla

Joe Mazzulla Responds To Lofty Praise From Giannis Antetokounmpo originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Joe Mazzulla has been getting a lot of praise for the incredible job he's done with the Boston Celtics 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.

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.

Mazzulla's impressive performance has turned heads throughout the league, including Giannis Antetokounmpo's.

"Like you saw, I talked with coach Joe Mazzulla," Antetokounmpo recently told Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. "I said, 'You had so many opportunities to make excuses, but you didn’t.' (The Celtics started the season slow.) And he said, 'Oh, they’re good players.' I said, no. It’s about the mentality that you instilled in your place."

Mazzulla addressed the Milwaukee Bucks superstar's lofty praise prior to Tuesday's win over the Charlotte Hornets.

"Obviously a great player, but I think my reaction was like, ‘You can't do anything unless you have players.’ And I think that's it may sound say a lot, but it's just that simple," Mazzulla said during his pregame press conference. "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."

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.

Still, the response was classic Mazzulla. He always deflects credit 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.

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