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Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla knows he’s got some different thoughts than a lot of other NBA coaches. One of them is the concept of defending a title. On the Locked On Celtics podcast, Mazzulla said he thinks of it differently.

“The phrase ‘defending a title’ is a very passive-aggressive term. If you look at the animal kingdom, some of the strongest animals don’t defend; they’re the most aggressive, and they attack the most,” Mazzulla said. “Whether you’ve won or haven’t won, your mindset can’t change. You have to understand what goes into winning and losing, commit to the details on a daily basis, and remain aggressive. You’re not defending something; you’re attacking a new goal.”

Mazzulla said in the first part of the interview that he’s embracing Boston being targeted this year. The Celtics coach took it a step further than the traditional quote about having a target on their backs, however.

“People are gonna say the target is on our backs, but I hope it’s right on our forehead in between our eyes,” Mazzulla said about the upcoming season for the 2024 champions.