You know, sometimes I wonder what really makes a team click. Like, sure, you’ve got talent and all that jazz, but there’s gotta be more. Take the Celtics, for example. Everyone’s talking about their chances this year—blah, blah, blah—but then there’s this wild card named Joe Mazzulla. Now, Tatum swears he’s the best coach around. Bold, right? But good luck getting Mazzulla to admit it. Seriously, the guy might just laugh it off with some off-the-cuff zinger during a press conference. Tatum says the team’s all about it. They probably grab popcorn and watch his interviews like they’re comedy specials.
Oh, and there’s this thing—tiny detail, but it’s stuck with me—Mazzulla has this habit of telling Tatum he loves him. Kind of random, but imagine it: third quarter of a high-stakes game, everything’s on fire, and he just leans in with a “Love ya, man.” It’s weirdly touching. Maybe it’s his secret sauce or whatever. Keeps things real, you know? Makes you think there’s more to coaching than just playbooks and stats. Anyway — or wait, what was I talking about? Ah, never mind. Just makes you see things differently, that’s all.
