On Thursday, Boston suspended NBA manager Ime Udoka for the entire season for “team rule violations”. According to various media reports, he was having an affair with a staff member.
On Thursday, the Boston Celtics suspended manager Ime Udoka for the entire 2022-23 NBA season due to “team policy violations”. “A decision on his future with the Celtics beyond this season will be made at a later date,” the franchise said in a statement. “The suspension takes effect immediately”.
An intimate relationship with a staff member, according to ESPN and The Athletic
ESPN and The Athletic reported Thursday that the 45-year-old manager allegedly had a “consensual and intimate” relationship with a member of his staff in violation of the franchise rules and code of conduct. The Celtics did not specify what the alleged violations were. The punishment, one of the toughest ever inflicted on an NBA manager, comes when the Celtics’ preseason retirement begins next week.
Udoka traveled through San Antonio, Philadelphia and Brooklyn as assistant manager before taking over the leadership of the Celtics in June 2021 and having an impressive first season. Boston finished last season with a record of 28-7 and crossed the Eastern Conference to reach the NBA Finals last June for the first time since 2010.
Udoka “accepts” the decision
In a statement obtained by ESPN, Udoka said he accepted the Celtics’ decision. “I want to apologize to our players, our fans, the entire Celtics structure and my family for disappointing them, he said. I’m sorry to put the team in this difficult situation and I accept the team’s decision.”
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