Joe Mazzulla and Jayson Tatum Used 'The Dark Knight' to Understand Pressure

Stephen Douglas | Jun 19, 2024

Jan 19, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla with forward Jayson Tatum (0) look on from the sideline as they take on the Denver Nuggets at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Celtics won the NBA title earlier this week so it's time to look at everything they did this season and agree that it is the only way to properly build a championship team. Every test they faced was integral. Every motivational technique used by the coach was the correct chess move. For Joe Mazzulla it was uncomfortable conversations, UFC clips and watching The Dark Knight with Jayson Tatum.

Mazzulla explained that last one during an appearance on Pardon My Take on Tuesday. According to the Celtics coach, he and Tatum watched the interrogation scene and it helped the superstar better understand how to deal with pressure.

Joe Mazzulla watched The Dark Knight with Jayson Tatum to work on handling expectations and pressure @PardonMyTake pic.twitter.com/UK9pZXLMx9

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) June 19, 2024

"So when we were working on how we're going to handle expectations, pressure," said Mazzulla. "This is what we need to do. So we're watching the scene where Batman goes into the interrogation room with Joker and they're talking and Batman's like why do you want to kill me? And like the Joker starts laughing. He's like, I don't want to kill you. He's like, I need you. You complete me. And it was like the coolest moment. Like good and evil has to coexist. Differences have to coexist in order to bring the best out of each other and the people around you. So like, Dark Knight, great movie."

Here's the scene for reference.

I'm not sure how it actually demonstrates any of the things that Mazzulla is talking about here in a way that could actually be applied in a helpful way. Unless he is the Joker in this scenario? A sicko doing whatever he has to do to get someone to do something he doesn't want to do? We have to assume Tatum is supposed to be Batman here, right? Is Brad Stevens Jim Gordon? Did Jaylen Brown get stuck watching The Avengers or something?

Look, it doesn't matter. Mazzulla and Tatum watched a clip from The Dark Knight and it obviously worked. That's the key to team building.