Celtics’ Joe Mazzulla Uses Jiu-Jitsu To Train For Day Job

The Boston Celtics locker room will no longer be home to pregame wrestling matches between Joe Mazzulla and Marcus Smart.

That doesn't mean Mazzulla has stopped training, though.

In all seriousness, the Celtics' pregame tussles between Mazzulla and Smart weren't why the 35-year-old trains in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Instead, he views it as a way to not only help him improve as a coach, but as a human being.

"When you become a coach, you spend so much time leading others and helping others that you almost neglect yourself," Mazzulla said in an interview with ESPN's Michael Eaves. "The question I had was, 'Who's coaching you?'"

Mazzulla started training back in 2017, but let jiu-jitsu take a back seat when he started as an assistant coach with the Celtics in 2019. He decided to pick the discipline back up when he was elevated to head coach prior to last season.

"It's one of the hardest things I've done. What the art really gives is the study of transitions, and that really helps me because in a game -- in a season, there's transitions and decision making. You're actually learning how not to fight. You're learning how to handle situations. You're learning how to problem solve."

In training, Mazzulla has built relationships with UFC fighters Zhang Weili, Daniel Day and Brad Tavares, as well as MMA coach Eric Nicksick. The Celtics head coach will even be walking Weili to the octagon for her title fight at UFC 292 in Boston.

Those at TD Garden might want to stay out of his way, on Saturday or during the Celtics season.