Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka has found himself in the headlines for all the wrong reasons this week.
Just months removed from coming out of the Eastern Conference and making the NBA Finals in his first year, Udoka became embroiled in a sordid controversy.
Earlier this week it was reported that Udoka was involved in a “consensual” relationship with a female Celtics staffer. The organization promptly handed down a one-year suspension – leading many to wonder about the severity of the punishment.
Would a “consensual” relationship between two adults, even with the power dynamics involved, really warrant that severe of a penalty? Surely enough, in the days since, fresh details have emerged.
The first new tidbits came from entertainment reporter Kevin Frazier:
TMZ then seemed to confirm that latter bit:
“Sources connected to the couple and the NBA franchise tell TMZ … one of the staffer’s duties included planning Udoka’s team-related travel, and we’re told she was also involved in booking travel for Nia to come to Boston or to road games,” the report noted.
This entire ugly ordeal has consistently produced awful headlines for Udoka and the Celtics on a daily basis. This weekend proved to be no exception.
Between the talk of how Udoka was allegedly snitched on by a prominent Celtics player and ESPN NBA insider Ramona Shelburne’s ominous warning of what’s to come – it has been one thing after another.
For now, Udoka has simply been suspended by the Celtics. But it is hard to see how he recovers from all this.
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