Ime Udoka, the Celtics coach, will probably be suspended for breaking team rules….
Ime Udoka, the head coach of the Boston Celtics, “is facing possible disciplinary action – including a significant suspension – for an unspecified violation of organizational guidelines,” according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Celtics are still debating which course of action to take. The report has been verified by Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe.
Assistant coach Joe Mazzulla will probably be a strong contender for the interim coaching position, according to Wojnarowski. When Will Hardy left to become the new head coach of the Utah Jazz, he assumed the role of Udoka’s senior assistant. “Internal discussions have included scenarios that would keep Udoka out for the entirety of the 2022–2023 season,” but no decision has been taken.
Later, Udoka “had an improper intimate and consensual relationship with a female member of the team staff,” according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. The team viewed this as a transgression of their code of conduct.
Following Brad Stevens’ move to the front office and Danny Ainge’s retirement, Udoka signed with the Celtics during the previous summer. Udoka led the Celtics on a tremendous second-half run that culminated in a run to the NBA Finals, despite the team having a poor start to the season.
His team-building style and defensive philosophy enabled Boston to turn things around and emerge as one of the East’s top teams. In the voting for Coach of the Year, Udoka came in fourth.
