Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka has been suspended for the 2022-23 NBA season for code of conduct violations.
Assistant coach Joe Mazzulla will take over as the team's head coach in Udoka's absence. The Celtics will decide Udoka's future after the 2022-23 season.
Udoka's Suspension to Impact Celtics' Championship Quest
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) September 23, 2022
Ime Udoka apologized in an ambiguous statement. Udoka allegedly had an improper intimate and consensual connection with a female member of the team staff, according to sources.
"I want to apologize to our players, fans, the entire Celtics organization, and my family for letting them down," Udoka said, as reported by ESPN. "I am sorry for putting the team in this difficult situation, and I accept the team's decision. Out of **respect for everyone involved, I will have no further comment," Udoka further stated.
When Udoka took over as head coach of the Celtics, they made the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010. Udoka played seven NBA seasons for five clubs before joining the Spurs in 2012 as an assistant, per Yahoo! Sports.
The 45-year-old also worked as an assistant with the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers before the Celtics handed him the long-overdue chance to be a team leader. Last year, he came in fourth place in the Coach of the Year poll.
The suspension of Udoka is a shocking turn of events for the Celtics, who are the favorites to win the NBA championship. The value of hard work, trust, and accountability was reinforced by Udoka last season using a tough, unrepentant approach. Now that he is gone, the operation will continue.
The Boston Celtics will have an interim head coach for the 2022-2023 season in the person of Joe Mazzulla. The product of Johnston, Rhode Island, Mazzulla, 34, has quickly risen through the NBA ranks.
Before Danny Ainge, the Celtics' then president of basketball operations, added him to the coaching staff in 2019, he was an assistant coach at Division 2 Fairmont State, as per a report from Fox News.
Mazzulla received praise from the Celtics for how he works and how professional he is. Joe Mazzulla attended the Utah Jazz's head coaching interview this summer, but Will Hardy, a Celtics assistant, ultimately won the job. Later, Mazzulla replaced Hardy on the Celtics' bench, per Boston Globe.
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Udoka Allegedly Cheated
On Wednesday, rumors spread that Udoka might be suspended for the entire season due to a rules infraction. Udoka was allegedly involved in an intimate relationship with a female coworker that was "considered to be a violation of the organization's guidelines," according to numerous stories that surfaced subsequently.
Since 2010, Udoka has been a partner of the actress Nia Long. Long is well-known for her work in such films as 'Love Jones,' 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,' 'Big Momma's House,' and many others. They have one son, and she has one from a prior relationship.
The Boston Celtics will have their media day on Monday before training camp starts on Tuesday. On October 18, Celtics will face their first opponent for the season, The Philadelphia 76ers.
