After leading the team to the NBA Finals, i’m udoka he won’t be on the Celtics’ bench this season. because he kept an extramarital affair with a franchise employee and so ” violates the rules of procedure”the leaders have decided to suspend him for the entire season, and he is replaced by Joe Mazzulla, his first assistant.
It is a thunder for the Celtics since Ime Udoka had managed to impose his leg, and it will give way to one of the youngest assistants in the NBA since Joe Mazzulla is only 34 years old.
He arrived at the Celtics in 2019, he was trained in West Virginia under the command of John Beilein. Very quickly, he moved into coaching and made his mark as an assistant in the G-League with the Celtics’ affiliated franchise, the Maine Red Claws. He then took the reins at Fairmont State, a small NCAA second-division college.
“I’m sorry to put the team in such a difficult situation”
This will therefore be his first experience as a “head coach” with the professionals, in a team that is aiming for the title… and it is rumored that Brad Stevens plans to find him an experienced assistant. We are talking about Frank Vogel, released this summer by the Lakers and NBA champion in 2020. He is close to the president of the franchise.
As for Ime Udoka, he will not resign, while the club has announced that a “The decision on his future with the Celtics beyond this season will be made at a later date.” and apologized.
” I want to apologize to our players, the fans, the entire Celtics organization and my family for letting them down. I am sorry to put the team in this difficult situation and I accept the team’s decision. Out of respect for everyone involved, I will have no further comment.. »
According to The Athletic, members of the franchise found out about the relationship between Ime Udoka and the member of his staff as early as July, but the club did not react at that time because the matter was agreed. The problem is that the woman in question is said to have recently accused Ime Udoka “for making unwanted comments about him”which led to the Celtics interviewing different people to determine the nature of the relationship and ultimately making the decision to suspend the coach.