The Celtics officially suspended Udoka on Thursday, with his future as head coach up in the air. The team will make the decision at a later date, with assistant coach Joe Mazzulla taking over as the interim head coach.
Udoka released a statement through ESPN’s Malika Andrews. He apologized to everyone who was affected by his actions. He accepted the suspension, but made no further comment about the situation.
There were rumors that he was involved with Allison Feaster, the Boston Celtics’ Vice-President of Player Development and Organizational Growth. However, Marc J. Spears of ESPN has refuted the rumors and cleared Feaster, who was being dragged into the situation.
Meanwhile, Paul Pierce chimed in on the situation with an ill-advised post on Twitter.
Fans blasted the Celtics legend for his take, with some even referencing Pierce’s scandalous video while he was working for ESPN last year. He streamed a poker game featuring women wearing bikinis who were massaging Pierce’s shoulders. The women also twerked in the video, and ESPN promptly fired him afterwards
What’s next for the Boston Celtics?
Ime Udoka’s suspension came at the worst time for the Boston Celtics. They were coming off an impressive season where they made it to the NBA Finals with two wins away from a championship. Interim coach Joe Mazzulla is capable of handling the team and is held in high regard within the organization.
Mazzulla was praised by Udoka back in June during their run to the finals. Jayson Tatum raved about the assistant coach who helped him improve his game, per Fox Sports.
The Celtics were the favorites to win the Eastern Conference heading into the season. They added guard Malcolm Brogdon and forward Danilo Gallinari this summer. Brogdon is a much-needed playmaker, while Gallinari is a veteran scorer who will come off the bench.
However, Gallinari suffered a torn ACL while on international duty. Robert Williams III will miss the early part of the season due to a knee injury. The Celtics had one of the best summers in the league, but things have gone a little south heading into training camp.
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