The international sporting world has been subject to a treat owing to a meetup between two legends in their respective sports. The coach of the English champions, Manchester City, Pep Guardiola was spotted interacting with the Boston Celtics head coach, Joe Mazzulla. The two share a great mutual respect for each other, with Mazzulla often appreciating the success of the former FC Barcelona man.
Pep Guardiola is fresh off winning his fourth successive Premier League title with Manchester City, taking his league title tally to 12 in total. The 53-year-old will be back in a month, leading his side in the pre-season. Taking advantage of the post-soccer campaign break, the Catalan coach is enjoying his time with his family and friends, visiting different locations and meeting renowned stars from various arenas.
Meetup between Joe Mazzulla and Pep Guardiola
Joe Mazzulla and the Boston Celtics are preparing themselves for the upcoming NBA Finals 2024. The Celtics’ coach has a challenging time in front of him and is undoubtedly dedicating all his focus and effort to make the coming period a successful one. Mazzulla and Guardiola were also captured connecting in February when the former visited Manchester City’s soccer academy. “I study a lot of Man City. I study Pep a lot. I think he’s the best coach at any level, in any sport. It’s had a huge influence (on me).”, were the words of Joe Mazzulla after interacting with Guardiola.
On Wednesday, social media was full of images displaying the sight of Pep Guardiola and Joe Mazzulla conversing once again. The Manchester City coach was seen giving tips and advice to the Celtics’ boss which sparked amusing reactions from fans of both soccer and NBA fans. Nonetheless, it was a historic moment as Guardiola wished Mazzulla all the best for leading his side into the NBA Finals.
The Boston Celtics matchup with the Dallas Mavericks
Joe Mazzulla-led Boston Celtics began their NBA 2024 Finals journey with a matchup against the Dallas Mavericks in game one. The fixture promised to provide an exciting encounter for both sets of fans and did not disappoint. The Celtics delivered a dominant victory over their opponents, with a 107-89 scoreline. Kristaps Porziņģis’ return after a 10-game absence proved to be a massive boost for the Celtics.
Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks will now start from behind in the remaining two games of the series between the two sides, to be held within next week. The last five meetings between the Celtics and the Mavericks have witnessed the Celtics maintain their dominance with a 4-1 record. A win for the Celtics could all but settle the contest before the fans even tune in for the final round. Joe Mazzulla‘s side is looking to end their 16-year drought for the NBA Championship, by lifting the 18ᵗʰ title in their history.