Joe Mazzulla explains how MMA helps him coach the Boston Celtics

Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla has led NBA players to become better competitors, and MMA has done the same to him.

An avid MMA fan and a championship-winning coach, Mazzulla has found peace in the violence of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and striking training. He's enlisted Alexandre Costa, of Gracie Barra Boston, and Eric Nicksick of Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, to help institute these foundations.

"After my first year of coaching, I needed to get better at my in-game communication with the players," Mazzulla said (via UFC). Linking up with Eric (Nicksick) and Dan Ige has been great for me in learning how to navigate the different layers of communication."

At times, Mazzulla draws direct analogies from what he's learned in fighting, famously showing his players clips of UFC fights to prove certain points about the competitive mindset.

"I had to start straight from scratch, not have any expectations to it, and really just learn and get better," Mazzulla said recently. "It really tested my patience and tested my mindset and decision-making. There are great themes and concepts within the art that you can take. I started tying the court into it.

"What I started to learn is just as much in basketball as it is in MMA. More times than not, it's the simple details executed under duress. It's small risk assessments that you're constantly having to make. Martial arts can help train you for the top situations that you're in coaching."

Anyone who follows basketball knows Mazzulla is one of the most unique personalities in the sport and his recipe is working – and perhaps the secret ingredient is MMA.

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Joe Mazzulla explains how MMA helps him coach the Boston Celtics