Marcus Smart says he still loves Ime Udoka as a person as well as a coach and that he is in an unfortunate situation.
The Ime Udoka scandal has rocked the Boston Celtics organization leading into the 2022-23 NBA season. The Celtics were seen as one of the favorites to win the championship next season but there is now turmoil behind the scenes and it remains to be seen how much this situation affects the players.
We know for sure that Udoka won't be coaching them as he has been suspended for the entire season for breaking team rules by entering into a relationship with a female staffer. It also seems like there is a lot more to this story than what has been reported, with those who know about the whole situation making it clear that it is very ugly.
Marcus Smart On Ime Udoka's Affair With The Female Staffer
While some of the insiders in the league seem to have found out what exactly transpired, it would appear that the Celtics players don't know much about the situation. Jayson Tatum says he found out about it on Twitter and it is quite surprising that the organization didn't inform their star player about it. His co-star Jaylen Brown also stated that they haven't been given all the details and he feels there is more to this situation than what meets the eye. Marcus Smart also spoke about it on media day as he said he still loves Udoka as a person and a coach.
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"I still love Ime as a person, as a coach. It's just something unfortunate that has happened to him. It doesn't take away from what he did as a coach, it doesn't take away how he turned this time around, how he led this team to a Finals appearance in a long time. It is just unfortunate that this is where we're at."
Saying that it's just something unfortunate that has happened to Udoka isn't the best look. Udoka is the one who has caused this situation and he deserves the punishment that has come his way. It is all fine for Smart to still love Udoka as a person and a coach and he said a lot of good things in general during his session but that part about Udoka being unfortunate is off the mark.
It is a pity that this is the direction things have gone in after what was such a promising season for the Celtics. The players have to find a way to brush this aside and perform at the highest level and it's going to take a lot on their part to do that.
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