Boston Celtics Ime Udoka Likely To Be Suspended For Violation Of Team Guidelines
The Boston Celtics have had to deal with a handful of injury news to both Danilo Gallinari and Robert Williams III this offseason and they are now dealing with some internal drama surrounding head coach Ime Udoka.
On Wednesday night, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that is facing disciplinary action that is expected to include a significant suspension for an unspecified violation of organizational guidelines.
Udoka, who just finished up his first season with the Celtics and took the team to the NBA Finals, is not expected to be fired or be “on the hot seat,” but the length of his upcoming suspension for this violation is expected to be more than a couple of games.
As Wojnarowski notes, Boston’s top assistant coach, Will Hardy, left to become coach of the Utah Jazz this offseason, which would likely mean that assistant Joe Mazzulla would be in serious consideration for an interim role in Udoka’s absence.
According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, Udoka had an “improper intimate and consensual relationship” with a female member of the team staff, which is being deemed a violation of the franchise’s code of conduct.
The Celtics finished the 2021-22 regular season with a 51-31 record after holding just a 25-25 record 50 games into the year. Boston was able to advance all the way to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010, only to lose in six games to the Golden State Warriors.
Preparing for training camp and the upcoming 2022-23 season, this is a huge blow to the Celtics, a team that enters the new year as the “team to beat” in the Eastern Conference, a conference that has become much better talent-wise than in year’s past.
The Boston Celtics continue to be in headlines this NBA offseason for all the wrong reasons and now, right before the start of training camp and the 2022-23 season, the Celtics have a lot of negative energy surrounding them.
