October 21, 2024 at 08:01 PM ET
BOSTON – The Boston Celtics aren’t feeling the pressure heading into their title defense on Tuesday night.
As the Celtics prepare to raise their 18th banner before the start of the regular season against the New York Knicks, coach Joe Mazzola said there is “zero pressure” on Boston to repeat as champions.
“We’ll all be dead soon, and it doesn’t matter anymore. So there’s no pressure,” he told reporters on Monday. “You have an opportunity to move the organization forward, and multiply the tradition and history of this organization. What more could you expect from someone who expects you to win all the time?”
The Celtics qualified for the regular season in the NBA last year, and finished the season with the best record in the Eastern Conference by 14 games, then won 16-3 in the playoffs. Led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, they return their entire starting lineup and most of their bench, and are the favorites to win it all again.
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“It’s not pressure,” Mazzola said. “There is nothing that anyone in this department can do to me that would impact my identity and who I am as a person or a coach. We either win or we don’t win, and 40 years from now, none of you will be invited to my funeral and that’s it. “
The Celtics won 16 NBA titles from 1957 to 1986, and Bill Russell won 11 in 13 years. The 1970s bands of Dave Coens and John Havlicek won a pair, and the Big Three of Larry Bird, Robert Parrish and Kevin McHale won three more in the 1980s.
When Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen won it all in 2008, they ended their longest title drought. They returned to the NBA Finals two years later, but lost to the Lakers. (The period from 2008 to 2024 was the second longest drought.)
Celtics guard Payton Pritchard said that to be considered among the Celtics’ greats, they will need to win another title.
“A lot of people can do this at once,” Pritchard said. “I know the tournament is tough, but there are a lot of people who have won it. But to win it multiple times, and almost start a family, is a tough thing to do. So, that’s greatness, and that’s something we’re trying to achieve.”
The job begins against the Knicks, who have positioned themselves as Boston’s top contender in the East after acquiring Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges over the summer.
Mazzola said he believes his team will be ready.
“I trust their identity,” the coach said. “I think they have an understanding of both ‘this is what we’ve accomplished’ and ‘this is what we’re trying to do.'” All the intangibles that go into winning have to carry over from season to season.
“You have to appreciate that. But you have to know what got you there, and if you forget what got you there, you’ll never go back.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story.