What am I missing on Joe Mazzula "flipping out"?

Please help me here! In 20-plus years in law enforcement, I have seen enough bizarre behavior from my officers and the public to fill a novel. So what is up with Joe Mazzula doing a somersault in front of Marcus Smart (per NESN's Adam London)?

According to The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach, Mazzulla walked past Marcus Smart in the Celtics locker room before the game, did a full somersault in front of the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, said “you can’t do that” and walked out. Smart made it clear to Himmelsbach that the theatrics weren’t an inside joke between him and his coach.

“We need to stop giving him sugar,” Smart told Himmelsbach.

The best chance here is that the act was simply a light, spontaneous moment by a rookie coach trying to lighten the pre-game tension. I obviously wasn't there to see the acrobatics or Smart's innocuous response, but the incident-as-described has bizarre aspects to it.

But right now, I will go with the incident being just spur-of-the-moment folly. Mazzulla has done wonders with his team since taking over following the Ime Udoka scandal. But most Celtics fans and analysts were enamored with Udoka-as-coach, not realizing that a "character flaw" would oust him from his position.

I had serious initial concerns about Joe Mazzulla's history from his college days and wrote about it. The Boston Celtics are on top of the world right now, and Joe has directed them there. I am asking for feedback from our readers on their takes on - what may seem on the surface - to be a totally innocuous and spontaneous tension-reliever.

Comments

The Elm Street Nightmare

A true-and-suspenseful horror tale of haunting, homicides and the hunt for triple-murderer, Daniel Laplante - as told by the cops that were there By Lt. Thomas Lane (Ret.) Daniel Laplante - cold, calm, clever, calculating- Photo: YouTube Elm Street surfaces on six (6) occasions in the Laplante saga: 1.) He resided on Elm Street in Townsend, Massachusetts 2.) He kidnapped a woman at gunpoint on Elm Street, Pepperell , Massachusetts 3.) That kidnapped woman fled to the Gillogly residence on Elm Street after escaping from the armed fugitive, Laplante. 4.) He was arrested and transported to Massachusetts State Police Barracks on Elm Street in Concord . 5.) He was tried, convicted and sentenced for the murders at Superior Court , corner of Elm Stree t and Gorham Street, Lowell, Massachusetts. 6.) The author, Thomas Lane, lived on Elm Steet, Pepperell, Massachusetts while a police Sgt./Lt. for the town police force. When evil and cleverness reside in the same mind, the st

In defense of Marcus Smart

Let me make it clear first of all that I am totally against making a threat of any kind that even hints at harming, or certainly killing, another human being. Marcus Smart was wrong in doing so in the Celtics loss to the tanking Oklahoma City Thunder , and he deserved the one-game suspension. But to be honest, part of me loved that it occurred. . This type of thing can happen when a player gets to a point "beyond frustration" and is having a bad game. Marcus and his teammates have been under-performing generally - were in the process of losing to a pathetic-and-tanking Thunder team - and Smart was having a bad game . And he let loose verbally at the closest target - an NBA official. Wilt Chamberlain did a similar act versus referee, Earl Strom when Wilt was having his usual tortuous time at the free throw line (per Chicago Tribune's Sam Smith): ''He was in one of those 1-for-13s,'' recalls referee Earl Strom. ''Nothing was getting close. S

Did the Celtics Kevin McHale really have a wingspan of 8-feet?

According to many sources, the Celtics Kevin McHale did indeed have an estimated wingspan of 8-feet. One of those sources is Wikipedia, as seen below: Kevin McHale American basketball player DescriptionKevin Edward McHale is an American retired basketball player who played his entire professional career for the Boston Celtics. He is a Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, and is regarded as one of the best power forwards of all time. He was named to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. Wikipedia Born: December 19, 1957 (age 61 years), Hibbing, MN Wingspan: 8′ 0″ Height: 6′ 10″ Spouse: Lynn McHale (m. 1982) NBA draft: 1980, Boston Celtics (Round: 1 / Pick: 3) Hall of fame induction: 1999 Number: 32 (Boston Celtics / Power forward, Center) Kevin was listed at 6'10" tall when he was drafted with the 3rd pick in the 1980 draft. Red Auerbach, in yet another heist, brought in both McHale and center Robert Parish (via trade) prior to the Celtics' 1980-81 Champion

Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

Search This Blog