From Nebraska to Lisbon: Joe Mazzulla makes next stop on Celtics world tour in Portugal
Summer is a time for travel and leisure. And while Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla has been jet-setting for the past few weeks, he’s not exactly on vacation.
Rather, the reigning Coach of the Year is traveling around the world to visit with some of his players and help them work out this offseason. Mazzulla started last Friday in a place few seek out for summertime fun: Omaha, Nebraska. He got in the gym at Creighton University to join Celtics wing Baylor Scheierman, who grew up in Nebraska and played for the Creighton Bluejays for two years before getting drafted by Boston. Then, on Tuesday, Mazzulla was spotted in Lisbon, Portugal, as he dropped by the home of Celtics center Neemias Queta.
Aside from training together, Mazzulla makes sure to learn more about his players’ roots while on these summer trips. Last year, he went to Colorado to see Celtics guard Derrick White and dined and played cards with his family. This year, Mazzulla said he checked out the two Portuguese clubs — Barreirense Basket and SL Benfica — Queta played for as a teenager and even met the 7-footer’s family.
“Just being a part of his journey, knowing where he came from,” Mazzulla described of his visit in a short video interview with Benfica. “He has some of the same friends that he’s had since he was a kid…You’re a product of your environment, but really you’re a product of the people around you because the people around you put so much into helping you.”
From going to the capital of “The Cornhusker State” to the capital of an Iberian nation, it’s clear that Mazzulla is investing in the future of the Celtics. Scheierman and Queta had breakout seasons with the Green Team during the 2025-26 campaign and their growth will be key to Boston’s long-term success.
Moreover, Mazzulla is a big proponent of getting to know his guys beyond the X’s and O’s, and his summer travels seem to be achieving that.
“It shows a lot about him and just who he is as a person,” Scheierman said when asked about Mazzulla coming to Creighton by Hurrdat Sports. “He really cares about the connections and the relationships and, obviously, that’s just a big part of life. So, it meant a lot to have him here.”
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Joe Mazzulla makes next stop on Celtics world tour in Portugal
