Joe Mazzulla is taking the Celtics out of their comfort zone, and that’s exactly the point.
Boston is set to travel to South Carolina on Saturday for a three-day stay at The Citadel Military College of South Carolina, where the team will practice before heading back home for next Thursday’s preseason opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers. With training camp winding down, the Celtics are swapping their usual routine for a different backdrop and, Mazzulla hopes, a different kind of connection.
“It’s always good to shake it up a little bit,” Mazzulla said during a practice interview. “This is my fifth training camp and the first four were here, so we’re just looking to do something a little different.”
The move comes as Boston works through camp with a roster that has plenty of new faces. Mazzulla made clear the trip is about more than just changing scenery. He wants the Celtics to spend time together in a setting that pushes the group to build chemistry away from the court.
“A bunch of new guys, so wanted to take a step back, get away, spend time with each other in a different environment.” “I really enjoy military leadership; I learned from it a lot.
I think it's important, so any chance we can get to do it, we'll try... Military leadership is my favorite.”
Mazzulla has pointed to military leadership before as something he values and studies closely. He told the Boston Globe, “I really enjoy military leadership. I've learned from it a lot,” and added, “I think it's important, so any chance that we could get to do it, we'll try.”
Boston has used team-building work with military personnel in the past, according to Mazzulla, but this trip will give the whole group a chance to experience that environment together. With the preseason approaching and several players adjusting to new roles, the Celtics are using the final stretch of camp to build more than just their basketball habits.
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