Coach Ime Udoka was forced to be suspended by the Celtics; it’s…
In the most recent installment of the regrettable, never-ending series Men in Pro Sports Behaving Inappropriately, the Boston Celtics suspended head coach Ime Udoka for the 2022–2023 season due to “violations of team policies.”
Although Udoka had a consensual connection with a team official, a person familiar with the case told USA TODAY Sports, the Boston statement did not go into depth about those transgressions. Because they were not authorized to speak in public about the delicate nature of the subject, the person requested to remain anonymous.
It’s unclear how much credit the Celtics should get for suspending Udoka. Who knows if they would have kept the matter inside and handled it internally if the media hadn’t revealed the mutually agreeable relationship. Maybe they were going to suspend Udoka anyhow.
However, the Celtics took action after it became known, because it was required, even if they accepted any negative consequences. (Yes, before this continues, it’s hard to overlook the optics of Robert Sarver, the owner of the Phoenix Suns and Mercury, being suspended similarly for over 20 years for inappropriate behavior at work. All I can say is that the NBA should have penalized Sarver more severely, and in Udoka’s instance, the team, not the league, should have decided.)
