The Boston Celtics coach, Ime Udoka, is facing a year-long suspension for having an intimate relationship with a female staff worker. The relationship between the two was reported to be consensual, but the Celtics organization bylaws state that all relationships must remain professional at all times. The original report on the matter came from Adrian Wojnarowski, a reporter for ESPN, who broke the story on Twitter.
Assistant coach Joe Mazzulla will step into the interim head coach position, pending the team’s suspension announcement. It has been a drama-filled week for the NBA after the announcement that the League had suspended Phoenix Suns’ Governor Robert Sarver. Sarver was suspended and fined for racist and misogynistic remarks.
What Does This Mean For The Team?
The Celtics are coming off an outstanding season that saw them reach the NBA finals. Boston had not reached the finals since 2012. Last season was Udoka’s first at the helm after Brad Stevens became president of basketball operations. Ime Udoka became only the 5th coach in the previous 25 years to guide a team to an NBA final in his first full season as a head coach.
En route to the finals, the Celtics beat some very good teams. They conquered 2021 champions, The Milwaukee Bucks, and 2020 runner-ups, the Miami Heat. The team had been steadily building around a young core led by All-Star forward Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart.
Losing their coach will undoubtedly be a solid blow for the team. The Celtics were looking to capitalize on last season’s momentum and position themselves for another deep playoff run this year. Time will tell how this will effect the Celtics. The Eastern Conference has gotten tougher, with Donovan Mitchell heading to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Dejounte Murray heading to the Hawks. The upcoming NBA season should be an interesting one.
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