Joe Mazzulla is taking the Boston Celtics away from their usual surroundings for a three-day training camp session at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, as he looks to build chemistry and establish a shared mental model within a revamped roster, according to The Boston Globe.
The Celtics have not moved training camp away from Boston since Jayson Tatum’s rookie season in 2017. Mazzulla believes the change of environment can help the team develop the discipline, sacrifice and camaraderie he wants to see before the regular season begins.
“I really enjoy military leadership; I learned from it a lot. I think it’s important, so any chance we can get to do it, we’ll try,” Mazzulla said. “Military leadership is my favorite.”
The Celtics enter camp following a significant offseason reshaping. Jaylen Brown was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George and draft compensation, while Boston also added Mitchell Robinson and extended Neemias Queta and Jordan Walsh.
George gives the Celtics another experienced player capable of contributing immediately, while Queta is coming off a season in which he established himself as a starting center. He averaged 10.2 points and 8.4 rebounds in 76 games during the 2025-26 regular season, starting 75 times.
Tatum is also returning for his first full season since suffering an injury that limited him to 16 games last season. Before the injury, he had been a central part of Boston’s lineup, averaging 21.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists in his 16 appearances.
The Celtics finished 56-26 and atop the Atlantic Division last season but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, their earliest postseason exit since 2021. The offseason changes have consequently created a different group around Tatum, with Mazzulla looking to establish its identity early.
The Citadel environment is intended to reinforce that process. Rather than simply conducting basketball practices, the Celtics will spend time in an unfamiliar setting where leadership and team-building are central themes.
Mazzulla has frequently emphasized the importance of collective accountability, communication and mental toughness. A training camp at a military academy gives him an opportunity to introduce those concepts away from the routine of Boston and basketball facilities.
Boston’s preseason opener is scheduled for October 8, giving Mazzulla and his staff a limited window to integrate the new-look roster. The three-day session at The Citadel will be an early test of how quickly the Celtics can establish common habits before their preseason schedule begins.
