Joe Mazzulla Wildly Reveals Injury After Celtics Win Championship

Grinding toward an NBA championship required the Celtics to battle through bumps and bruises across a playoff run that started back in April.

In fact, even Boston’s head coach was forced to dig deep as the club fought for Banner 18.

The Celtics’ gutsy efforts were rewarded Monday night when the storied franchise finished off the Dallas Mavericks and claimed the Larry O’Brien Trophy at TD Garden. It was a historic victory for head coach Joe Mazzulla, who at 35 became the youngest head coach to win an NBA title since Boston icon Bill Russell did so at the same age in 1968.

Mazzulla after the clincher was asked about his preparation for a season with such high expectations, which included MMA training. The Rhode Island native went on to reveal an injury that will keep him from the mat for a while.

“I have to have knee surgery. I tore my meniscus in March after we lost to Atlanta,” Mazzulla told ESPN’s Michael Eaves on “SportsCenter.” “So it’s the first thing I have to do before I get back on the mats. I’m going to be out a little while. I’ve been working through it since March.”

Mazzulla isn’t the only notable Celtic who is set to go under the knife this offseason. Star big man Kristaps Porzingis reportedly will need to have surgery to repair the lower leg injury that limited his availability in the Finals.

However, those ailments shouldn’t prevent either champion from thoroughly enjoying Boston’s championship parade, which is scheduled for Friday.