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Joe Mazzulla isn’t your average NBA coach. He’s not just sketching plays and running drills. He’s contemplating mortality, legacy, and the collapse of civilizations. And yes, Mazzulla's genuinely thinking about the Roman Empire every single day, per HoopsHype.
On an episode of Games with Names hosted by Julian Edelman, the Celtics head coach opened up about what’s been occupying his thoughts lately. “I don’t want to come off as dark, but I think there’s a lot of lightness in the dark,” Mazzulla explained. “I think a lot about the duality of life and death, and the decisions you make… the balance of the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, and how that mirrors the rise and fall of dynasties, organizations, yourself, your family.”
He said he reflects on these ideas nearly 30 times a day. For him, the Roman Empire isn’t just history. It’s a metaphor for competition, self-awareness, and the relentless pursuit of greatness while knowing it could all end in a flash. Mazzulla’s leadership style, forged from those reflections, echoes through the Celtics’ intense, cerebral identity.
A Coach Obsessed with Storytelling and Shadows
The conversation with Edelman also touched on Mazzulla’s earliest moments as Celtics head coach, his childhood, what his team listens to before games, and even his Rhode Island pizza preferences. But one section in particular stood out: his fascination with The Dark Knight trilogy.
Mazzulla singled out The Dark Knight as a film that deeply shaped how he views morality, power, and personal responsibility. He noted how Batman and The Joker represented two sides of the same coin, forces that define each other. That idea stuck with him so much that he inked the phrase “Why so serious?” on his forearm—a tribute to the complicated balance of light and dark he sees in life, leadership, and legacy.
This is what makes Mazzulla different. He’s not just guiding a franchise. He’s wrestling with the same questions that built and buried empires. And he’s bringing that energy to the Celtics bench every night.
