Joe Mazzulla explains rationale behind Media vs. Coaches game: ‘It humanizes’

Sure, it was easy to make jokes about the Boston Celtics coaching staff absolutely steamrolling members of the local press during a pickup basketball game earlier this week. The final score was 57-4, and by all accounts, the media was lucky to keep it that close.

But to Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, Tuesday’s Media vs. Coaches game was no laughing matter. In fact, he believes it “was serious.” Not because Mazzulla had a bone to pick with Boston beat reporters. Quite the opposite, actually.

Noa Dalzell, who covers the team for Celtics Blog and participated in the game, shared what Mazzulla had to say after the fact.

“It’ll be laughed at and joked about, but it means a lot more to humanize. We have too many interactions where it’s coach and everyone’s doing their job,” Mazzulla said.

“But we all got to see [John Karalis] shove [Jack Simone] — it’s no different than me getting pissed at Jack’s question the other day. It’s a competitive reaction to the thing that’s going on.

“So if anything, we have to do it more, because it humanizes the competition, and I realize how much you guys really like the game and care about it, so I hope that it doesn’t drag on as something that’s funny, it’s something that was serious. I meant that, and that was important that we did that yesterday.

“And we’ll do it again.”

To boot, Joe Mazzulla said all of this while at ground level in the Celtics’ press room, rather than up on stage with a podium as is standard.

Clearly, the Celtics coach understands the importance of building a strong rapport with the media. And that doesn’t mean blowing smoke up their proverbial backsides. It means treating them like people. Connecting with them on a real, human level.

What better way to do that then running a quick game of pickup hoops?

Perhaps this is the beginning of a new trend, and other teams will follow suit in future years. If that’s the case, you’d have to imagine 57-4 is only the start.