Joe Mazzulla Dramatically Illustrates How Celtics Plan to Defend Champion Status

Boston appears ready to rock as the 2024-2025 season approaches.

Jun 12, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla reacts after a play against the Dallas Mavericks during the second quarter during game three of the 2024 NBA Finals at American Airlines Center. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

On the road to an NBA title in 2024, the Boston Celtics made basketball look easy. The squad needed just five games to dispatch the Miami Heat in the first round, five to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference semifinals, four to sweep the Indiana Pacers in the conference finals, and five to top the Dallas Mavericks in the Finals. The Celtics appear to have no illusions about how difficult it will be to follow up their championship.

Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said as such in a dramatic quote from a forthcoming episode of the Locked On Celtics podcast, teased in a clip on Wednesday.

"People are gonna say the target is on our back," the ever-quotable Mazzulla said. "I hope it's right on our forehead in between our eyes."

Recent history is not on the Celtics' side, as no team has repeated as NBA champions since the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018.

Boston—with its well-compensated stars, guard Jaylen Brown and forward Jayson Tatum, under contract for the foreseeable future—seems well positioned to try.