Boston Celtics have finally settled on a punishment for their second year headache Ime Udoka and have decided to suspend him for the entirety of the upcoming 2022/23 season.
Assistant coach Joe Mazzulla will take over as interim coach with Udoka’s future beyond this season with the Celtics “will be made at a later date,” the team said. The 45-year-old has been suspended for violating team policies after being involved in a relationship with another member of the Celtics organisation.
In a statement, Udoka apologized “to our players, fans, the entire Celtics organization, and my family for letting them down.” “I am sorry for putting the team in this difficult situation, and I accept the team’s decision,” he said. “Out of respect for everyone involved, I will have no further comment.”
After a long stint as second fiddle to coaches in the NBA, Ime Udoka finally landed a head coaching gig with the Celtics last year after Brad Stevens moved to the front office.
He led the team to a 51-31 record before beating Brooklyn, Milwaukee and Miami on the way to the NBA Finals, where they eventually lost to the Golden State Warriors in six games.
The future looked bright for the Celtics once again as they bolstered their squad with the additions of Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari in search of launching another title charge.
Those plans may have gone out the window with Gallinari’s injury and Udoka’s suspension just a few days before the defending Eastern Conference champions are scheduled to hold media day on Monday and open training camp on Tuesday in preparation for the Oct. 18 season opener.
