Joe Mazzulla drops another classic quote over kissing Celtics’ parquet floor
"The parquet, that’s where the blood, sweat and tears of the greats (have been)."
As the cheers rained down onto the parquet floor at TD Garden on Tuesday night, Joe Mazzulla dropped to the hardwood.
While the booming speakers at the Celtics’ home arena beckoned Boston’s head coach to center court to receive his 2024 championship ring, Mazzulla took a brief moment to kiss the court.
The ever-candid and quotable Mazzulla was asked about his decision to kiss Boston’s court before accepting his new hardware — and in particular, what the parquet tasted like.
And sure enough, the Celtics’ head coach didn’t disappoint.
“Blood,” Mazzulla responded. “I mean, I wish it did.”
It’s a stark quote, but one that Mazzulla elaborated on earlier in his postgame presser when asked about the significance of the parquet floor.
“I just thought that was a moment, a way for me to express myself,” Mazzulla said after Boston’s 132-109 win over the Knicks. “The parquet, that’s where the blood, sweat and tears of the greats (have been). So I don’t get to go out there and dive on the floor for loose balls or like I’d love to or do any of that.
“So that was a way to express the passion and the gratitude that I have for our team, for the people that have come before and for what it means to be a Celtic. So there’s no place better than the city and the team and just being in the arena with the people. That was important.”
While Mazzulla wished he could taste blood on the parquet, it didn’t take long for his players to smell blood in the water in their season-opening bout against the Knicks.
Amid all of the pomp and distractions that come with a championship-ring ceremony and banner raising, the Celtics still easily trounced the Knicks by way of a barrage of shots from 3-point range.
Boston tied an NBA record by sinking 29 3-pointers in Tuesday’s win, with the Celtics failing to hit a record-breaking 30th trey ball for the final 8:54 of regulation.
Considering that final 3-pointer was the lone blemish on an otherwise landmark night, Mazzulla was pleased with how his team set out on its title defense in 2024-25.
“I was proud of the way they responded from the ring ceremony to the game,” Mazzulla said. “Regardless, the result does not matter once we wake up tomorrow morning. But the biggest thing I’m proud of is the mindset of the guys.
“We weren’t stuck in the past. We were able to transition to what got us to where we were to where we’re trying to get to. It’s a great start. It’s a credit to them.”
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