During the NBA offseason, Joe Mazzulla likes to look outside of the basketball world for coaching inspiration.

Last summer, that meant traveling to France to attend 24 Hours of Le Mans, the legendary endurance auto race that spans a full day and night.

The Celtics head coach viewed the event as a “fascinating” case study in individual and team dynamics — each Le Mans team consists of three drivers who alternate shifts in the same car — and an analogue for the grind of an 82-game NBA season.

“I think, you take a look at F1, and that to me is the equivalent of Jayson (Tatum) and Jaylen (Brown),” Mazzulla explained on the Celtics-produced “View From the Rafters” podcast. “It’s the equivalent of an NBA player. Being in that car for three hours by yourself is probably how they feel being on the court for 35, 40 minutes every single night. There’s obviously things you have to do to develop a team and grow as a team, but you also have to develop individuals who are going after greatness. So you’re always bouncing back and forth between, ‘OK, let’s study this team dynamic,’ but we’ve got to study individual dynamics, too, because you’re coaching high-performing individuals.

“And the equivalent is high-performing drivers. They’re in a car by themselves for five, six hours … and then that race is essentially like an NBA season, you know? The weather changes, you’re up all night, you’re working when you’re tired, you’re relying on other people. That one race is probably the equivalent of going through a whole NBA season. So I think finding things outside of that sport that can teach you, that can replicate it, just kind of helps you. Keeps things fresh. You can learn from it. But that was a fascinating experience.”

Related Articles

Jaylen Brown misses would-be game-winner as Celtics fall to Pistons

Jayson Tatum showcases Achilles recovery in extended workout

Jaylen Brown earns first career NBA All-Star start, fifth selection

Celtics midseason report card: Boston checks all boxes in impressive first half

Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser turn in monster performances as Celtics rout Hawks

Mazzulla made an effort to watch the full race, he said — which began at 4 p.m. local time and ended the following afternoon — but had to tap out before the finish.

“You don’t really realize what 24 hours is until you’re there and, like, this thing’s going on all day,” Mazzulla said. “I tried to stay up the whole time. We made it to, like, hour 17 1/2, and we had to go back to the hotel. But you could still hear the race at the hotel. So it was a fascinating experience.”

The Celtics passed the 12-hour mark of their season this past weekend, and they’re near the front of the pack thus far. Entering Wednesday’s matchup with the Indiana Pacers at TD Garden, Boston boasted the second-best record in the Eastern Conference (26-16) and third-best net rating in the NBA.