Joe Mazzulla’s willingness to meet his players wherever they are apparently goes well beyond film sessions and game plans.
On Wednesday, the Celtics head coach made the trip to Indianola, Iowa, where he showed up at Luka Garza’s offseason camp for youngsters. It was another example of Mazzulla leaning into the leadership side of the job, and Garza clearly noticed.
The former Celtics big man also had one very specific reaction to the clip of Mazzulla working through boxing training with Jayson Tatum that went viral. Garza said he’d be interested in getting in on that action himself.
With #Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla in Indianola for Luka Garza's camp today, I had to ask Garza about Mazzulla boxing with Jayson Tatum. The former #Hawkeyes star wants in.
— Trey Redfield (@Trey_Redfield) August 19, 2026
"He's one of those coaches that you want to run through a brick wall for him."
Mazzulla told me he's… pic.twitter.com/E8rgfb3Qqo
“I would definitely join in on some boxing. When it gets to jiu-jitsu and all that, coach Joe, he's got that too.
That's fun and challenging. It's cool to see him do it and how he commits himself to working hard.
We can see that as guys on his team. He's one of those coaches that you want to run through a brick wall for him,” Garza said, via Trey Redfield of Iowa 5 News.
That kind of buy-in doesn’t happen by accident. For Garza, seeing a head coach put in the work physically sends a message that carries inside the locker room.
Boston will need that edge. The Celtics already lost Jaylen Brown earlier this offseason in a trade, leaving them with a hole to fill as they head toward the new season. But if Mazzulla’s presence and approach are any indication, the team is entering that stretch with a group that looks ready for the grind.
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