Just months after a run to the NBA Finals, the Boston Celtics never imagined that their team would be rocked by an ugly scandal.
Sadly, ahead of the 2022-23 campaign, that’s where the Cs find themselves after the story of Ime Udoka’s infidelity went viral online.
With reports exposing an affair between Udoka and a female Celtics staffer, Brad Stevens handed down a hard one-year suspension for the coach, whose future is now clouded with uncertainty.
No doubt, it’s a bitter turn of events for the franchise, especially for young stud Jayson Tatum, who finally got to experience his first taste of real success last summer.
Jayson Tatum Drops The Details Behind Ime Udoka Scandal
According to what he told reporters on Monday, he found out about the whole thing the same way everybody else did.
How did Tatum find out about Udoka: “Shit on Twitter, like everybody else.”
How did Tatum find out about Udoka: "Shit on Twitter, like everybody else."#Celtics
— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) September 26, 2022
Jayson Tatum said he hasn’t spoken with Ime Udoka since the suspension and the whole situation is just shocking. #Celtics. pic.twitter.com/EmByBkQO5X
— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) September 26, 2022
It’s almost surprising that Tatum wasn’t informed of this situation privately. As the team’s best player and most important contributor, Tatum is a guy who should know when his coach is about to get fired. Then again, who is to say what the right action is when the circumstances here are so complicated anyway?
Regardless of the details, this change will be a big adjustment for the Celtics, and it will no doubt serve as a major obstacle to their upcoming season. But after coming so close last season, Tatum will be more determined than ever to lead his team to the promised land.
“It’s just tough,” said Tatum on losing the 2022 Finals. I” feel like sometimes I come off so laid back, that I don’t know if people understand how much I invest in this game. How much I care, how hard I work… It was just so tough because I literally gave everything that I had. To feel like I ran out, like I didn’t have anything left to give, and we were so close… I didn’t want to talk, I didn’t want to go anywhere. I was just in my house for 3-4 days straight.”
Replacing Udoka will be a challenge for Boston, but any coach that steps in will be inheriting a pretty solid squad.
The truth is, no matter who’s in that coaching circle this season, the Celtics are going to be a team to fear, if for nothing else than the presence of young superstar Jayson Tatum.
