Ime Udoka, the Boston Celtics’ head coach, has been suspended for the entire NBA season due to infractions of team
standards, the organization said Thursday night.
The franchise said that a decision on Udoka’s future with the Celtics would be made at a later date. His suspension
became effective immediately.
According to ESPN, The Athletic, and the Boston Globe, Udoka had a consensual relationship with a female team
staff member.
“I am sorry for putting the team in this difficult situation, and I accept the team’s decision,” Udoka told ESPN in a
statement. He also apologized to the players, fans, the organization, and his family.
Udoka succeeded Brad Stevens as the team’s head coach ahead of the 2021-22 NBA season, leading the Celtics to
their first NBA Finals appearance since 2010, when they were defeated 4-2 by the Golden State Warriors.
On Friday, Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck and head of basketball operations Brad Stevens spoke to the media about
Udoka’s ban.
Grousbeck noted that the decision to suspend Udoka came after the organization hired a “respected law firm to
conduct an impartial investigation” after learning about the claims over the summer.
Gary Washburn, a national basketball reporter for the Boston Globe, told John Berman and Brianna Keilar on CNN’s
New Day that Udoka might never coach the Celtics again.
“This could have been something that was in his contract,” Washburn went on to say. “You know, ‘You’re not able to
have connections with individuals of the organization, especially those who report to you.’ So, unfortunately for
coach Udoka, he disobeyed those laws and rules, and he’s now not out of work, but as near to it as he can get.
“He’ll be suspended for a year, and the company has not promised he’ll return in 2023-24. “They said they’d review it
then, so he might never coach the Boston Celtics again.”
