On June 19, Beijing time, an official NBA statistic shocked the entire basketball world: Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, at the moment of leading the team to win the championship, became the youngest championship coach since the legendary coach Bill Russell in 1970 at the age of 35 years and 353 days.
Mazzulla's rise is not only a personal glory, but also a subversion of the traditional concept of coaching age. Over the past half-century, only a handful of young coaches have proven themselves on the NBA's highest stage, and Mazzulla's name is now at the top of the honor roll. He surpassed Pat Riley, who led the Lakers to a championship in 1982, Alvin Atels of the Warriors in 1975, Tyronn Lue of the Cavaliers in 2016, and Tom Heinsohn of the Celtics in 1974.
Mazzulla's success is the result of both wisdom and courage. Under his leadership, Celtic showed unprecedented team spirit and fighting will. His tactical set-up was clever and varied, and his on-the-spot command was calm and decisive. In the fierce matchups of the playoffs, Mazzulla always finds the weaknesses of his opponents and devises a winning strategy. Every adjustment he made was like a well-choreographed piece of music, leading the Green Shirts to the other side of victory.
Not only that, Mazzulla is also the seventh championship coach in Celtics history, and his name will be engraved in the team's glorious history along with Auerbach, Heinsohn and others. His success also sets an example for young coaches: in the challenging arena of the NBA, age is never a limit, passion and innovation are the keys to success.
With Mazzulla's ascension to the top, a storm of youth blew in the NBA's coaching bench. Young managers are attacking the traditional coaching landscape with an unprecedented attitude. They interpret the wisdom of basketball in their own way and prove their value on this stage with practical actions. And Mazzulla is undoubtedly the brightest star in this storm.