Boston – The Boston Celtics have suspended head coach Ime Udoka from the NBA for the upcoming season less than a month before the start of the season.
The record champion, with whom Udoka had played for the title in the final against the Golden State Warriors at the end of his first season as head coach, cited a violation of internal rules as the reason. A decision on the future of the 45-year-old coach will be made at a later date, it said. Several US media outlets including ESPN, The Athletic and The Washington Post reported that Udoka had an “inappropriate intimate relationship” with a Celtics employee.
“I want to apologize to our players, fans, the entire Celtics organization and my family for letting them down. I’m sorry that I put the team in a difficult situation and I accept the decision,” US media quoted a reaction from Udoka. It was initially unclear who would take over his position for the duration of the suspension. His assistant Joe Mazzulla is the favorite.
