Joe Mazzulla coaches the Celtics with help from AI

Artificial intelligence is becoming an increasingly common part of everyday life, but some are also bringing it directly into their NBA work. Among them is Joe Mazzulla, the Boston Celtics coach, who said he uses Claude, the AI assistant developed by Anthropic, practically every day to improve his approach to coaching.

It’s a choice that might surprise some, especially considering the Celtics head coach’s personality and unconventional approach. Yet Mazzulla has no problem admitting it.

I use Claude every day in my coaching work. I love Claude. I’m all-in on it

Joe Mazzulla

For Mazzulla, though, this isn’t about asking artificial intelligence which lineups to play or which sets to run during games. The goal is different: continually questioning his own habits and finding more effective ways to prepare his team.

How Mazzulla uses artificial intelligence

Mazzulla explained that he leaned heavily on AI during the most recent offseason, examining different aspects of the Celtics’ preparation, from organizing practices and managing film to communicating with players.

Over the summer, it was really useful for my personal growth and figuring out where I wanted to take the team psychologically, too. For example, I can put in last season’s practice schedule and ask, “Was this actually efficient?

Joe Mazzulla

He also described using these tools primarily to bounce ideas around, gather information and assess whether certain methods could be improved.

It’s less about getting definitive answers and more about organizing things better, becoming more efficient and understanding certain aspects. You can work through a problem, analyze it from a psychological perspective and quickly get a ton of research and data

Joe Mazzulla

That approach extends to very specific moments during games. For example, how to make the most of the 15-minute halftime break, which clips to show players and how to ensure the staff’s instructions are actually understood.

Is the way we review film at halftime really the most effective way to prepare for the second half? And before the game, are we sure our approach helps players remember the game plan and get mentally ready?

Joe Mazzulla

Mazzulla uses those questions to improve a process he considers far from perfect, despite the excellent results of recent years.

From soccer to handball: using AI to find new ideas

Among the more intriguing examples the coach shared was comparing different sports.

Mazzulla has long been a huge soccer fan and has previously introduced handball-inspired drills into Celtics practices. To explore those connections further, he turned to artificial intelligence.

I asked what similarities there were between soccer, handball and basketball, what elements of play they shared and how those could be applied in a five-on-five situation

Joe Mazzulla

The goal isn’t simply to copy what works in other sports, but to identify principles and solutions that could also be useful on the basketball court. That curiosity reflects Mazzulla’s philosophy: always looking for new ways to coach and communicate with his players.

As a coach, you develop methods, habits and routines that you think give you the best chance to win. But tools like these help you ask whether they really are the best. You can be convinced you’re doing something the right way, but there might be a more scientific and efficient approach

Joe Mazzulla

As the role of artificial intelligence becomes an increasingly frequent topic around the NBA, Mazzulla has already made his choice: keep using it, asking questions and looking for new answers. Because apparently, even an NBA championship-winning coach believes he still has plenty to learn.