Life has come fast for (soon to be former) Celtics head coach Ime Udoka. Just a few months ago, he was hailed as one of the best coaches in the league after leading Boston to the NBA Finals.
Now, he’s fighting to save his job after the exposure of his inappropriate relationship with a team staffer.
With many details still waiting to come to light, it will be some time before we know the full story, but it isn’t stopping fans from wondering about Udoka’s chances of a return.
Contrary to the thinking of some, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski recently cast doubt on his reinstatement to the Celtics in a viral tweet.
The independent law firm probe into Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka found that he used crude language in his dialogue with a female subordinate prior to the start of an improper workplace relationship with the woman, an element that significantly factored into the severity of his one-year suspension, sources told ESPN on Friday.
Those investigative findings — which described verbiage on Udoka’s part that was deemed especially concerning coming from a workplace superior — contribute to what is likely a difficult pathway back to his reinstatement as Celtics coach in 2023, sources told ESPN.
Of course, Udoka’s NBA future isn’t set in stone. Things could change for him over the best year.
The Boston Celtics Are Reportedly Ready To Move On From Coach Ime
But, at the very least, his time in Boston appears to be over, regardless.
At a news conference last week, Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck said the suspension — which extends through June 30, 2023 — was a product of multiple violations of team policies, and sources told ESPN the Celtics won’t stand in Udoka’s way should he have the chance to become a coaching candidate elsewhere. There are teams that have tried to gather a preliminary understanding of the full explanation for Udoka’s suspension in preparation for possibly evaluating him for future coaching employment, sources told ESPN.
On the court and in the locker room, Udoka was effective. He’s a great leader, brilliant strategist, and expert communicator who really knows how to bring the best out of his players.
Sadly, none of that matters now that he got caught abusing his position of power.
It will be interesting to see how this all plays out, and where Udoka ends up by the time it’s all said and done.
