Joe Mazzulla Is Laughably Unexcited About His NBA All-Star Game Coaching Gig

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The NBA All-Star Game tends to be one of the more entertaining contests when it comes to the various showcases that feature the best players in a particular sports league, as the nature of basketball meshes pretty well with what is essentially a glorified pickup game.

The league has also taken some steps to give players some incentive to compete, as guys on the winning team will take home $100,000 as opposed to the $25,000 checks that are handed out to the members of the losing squad.

There have also been a number of tweaks in recent years to up the level of intrigue. In 2018, the NBA adopted a new draft format that gives two designated captains the chance to pick from a pool of players to firm up their roster, and in 2020, it introduced a new tweak to the fourth quarter in the form of the “Final Target Score” that ultimately decides the outcome of the contest.

However, it appears those changes haven’t done much to give the head coaches who are chosen to represent the Eastern and Western Conference a reason to get too excited.

On Tuesday, Jay King of The Athletic chatted with Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, who has earned the right to roam the bench in Salt Lake City on February 19th. While he admitted he’s glad his assistants and their families will get the chance to experience the festivities, it doesn’t seem like he’s personally amped about the contest.

King did what he could to squeeze some enthusiasm out of Boston’s skipper, but Mazzulla made it very clear he could not care less about what unfolds inside Vivint Arena in a few weeks.

Damn, Joe. Tell us how you really feel.