Boston Celtics

Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka was reportedly accused of making "unwanted comments" toward a female staff member, which led to the internal investigation that resulted in his full-season suspension announced Thursday.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported some Celtics executives found out about the relationship in July and believed it was consensual, but the unnamed woman's accusation Udoka had made unwanted comments toward her led the team to investigate their relationship.

Udoka released a statement to ESPN's Malika Andrews after the suspension was announced.

"I want to apologize to our players, fans, the entire Celtics organization, and my family for letting them down," he said. "I am sorry for putting the team in this difficult situation, and I accept the team's decision. Out of respect for everyone involved, I will have no further comment."

The Celtics' announcement noted his future with the franchise beyond the 2022-23 season would be decided "at a later date."

Assistant coach Joe Mazzulla will take over the staff on an interim basis, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Udoka is a former NBA forward who switched to coaching in 2012 after his on-court retirement. He spent time as an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets before getting his first head coaching opportunity with Boston.

He guided the Celtics to an appearance in the NBA Finals during his first year in charge after the team posted a 51-31 record in the regular season. The C's came up short against the Golden State Warriors in the Finals, losing in six games.

No further information about the organization's internal investigation was immediately released.

The Celtics will open the regular season Oct. 18 when they welcome the Philadelphia 76ers to TD Garden.

Ime Udoka reportedly could become a "coach of interest" for other NBA teams after he received a full-season suspension from the Boston Celtics for violations of team policies on Thursday following reports of an intimate relationship with a female staffer.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on SportsCenter the lack of certainty in the Celtics' statement about Udoka's future with the organization, which only said his status would be determined "at a later date," could lead the coach elsewhere if another opportunity arises.

"He may become a candidate or a coach of interest for other jobs that might open or might become open during the season or certainly next season," Woj said (50-second mark of video). "The final chapter of Udoka's coaching career has not been written. This is not going to be a death knell for him."

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported some people in the Celtics organization were made aware of Udoka's relationship with the unnamed staff member in July and were told it was consensual, but the woman more recently came forward to accuse the team's head coach of making "unwanted comments toward her."

Boston held a series of internal interviews before the decision to suspend Udoka for the entire 2022-23 season was made Thursday during a meeting of key franchise executives, including team ownership and president Brad Stevens, per Charania.

Udoka issued a statement to ESPN's Malika Andrews after the suspension was announced.

"I want to apologize to our players, fans, the entire Celtics organization, and my family for letting them down," he said. "I am sorry for putting the team in this difficult situation, and I accept the team's decision. Out of respect for everyone involved, I will have no further comment."

Assistant coach Joe Mazzulla will take over the staff on an interim basis, per Wojnarowski.

Udoka was hired by the Celtics in June 2021 after Stevens vacated the head coaching position to accept a role in the front office.

The 45-year-old Portland native started his coaching career as an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs in 2012 after a 13-year playing career that included seven seasons in the NBA. He also spent time on the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets coaching staffs.

Udoka enjoyed a highly successful first season in Boston. He guided the team to an appearance in the 2022 NBA Finals, where it fell short against the Golden State Warriors, after posting a 51-31 record during the regular season.

He remains under contract with the Celtics amid the suspension, so the organization with have to clear him to interview with other teams if another front office expresses interest.

Boston tips off the new campaign Oct. 18 when it hosts the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden,

The Boston Celtics announced that they have suspended head coach Ime Udoka for the entire 2022-23 season for "violations of team policies." A decision regarding his future with the team past this season will be made at a later date.

"I want to apologize to our players, fans, the entire Celtics organization, and my family for letting them down," Udoka said in a statement. "I am sorry for putting the team in this difficult situation, and I accept the team's decision. Out of respect for everyone involved, I will have no further comment."

Joe Mazzulla, who has been an assistant with the Celtics since 2019, will be an interim head coach this season, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

On Wednesday evening, Wojnarowski reported Udoka was potentially in line for a significant suspension following an alleged violation of organizational guidelines:

Later that night, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Udoka allegedly had a consensual relationship with a female Celtics staff member:

According to Turner Sports' Chris Haynes, Udoka has no plans to resign from his position. That said, Wojnarowski said Thursday there's no guarantee Udoka will be back with the franchise after the 2022-23 season.

Udoka was part of a big shake-up in the Celtics' leadership structure during the 2021 offseason. Former President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge and the Celtics parted ways, and Brad Stevens was elevated from head coach to the lead front-office role.

The Celtics then hired Udoka, who served as an assistant for the San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets between 2012 and 2021, as their new head coach.

Boston ended its first season under Udoka as the Eastern Conference champion. The Celtics started the year 25-25 but finished 26-6 en route to the No. 2 seed in the East playoffs. Boston swept the Brooklyn Nets in the first round before grinding out seven-game series wins over the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat. The C's took a 2-1 NBA Finals lead over the Golden State Warriors but dropped three straight to end the season.

Still, prospects remained high for the 2022-23 campaign given that all the key players who got them to the NBA Finals were returning, such as Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart. The addition of Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari brought further hope that Boston could win its first NBA title in 15 years.

However, the preseason has been a disaster for Boston. Gallinari is out for the year now with a torn ACL, and budding star center Robert Williams III will be out four to six weeks after undergoing an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee.

Now, Udoka has been suspended for the entire season. Mazzulla will inherit a team considered to be one of the NBA's top title contenders. The 34-year-old already has head coaching experience thanks to a pair of seasons leading Division II Fairmount State to a 43-17 record and an NCAA tournament berth in his second year.

Mazzulla also played collegiately at West Virginia from 2006 to 2011 and helped lead the Mountaineers to the 2010 Final Four, dropping 17 points in an Elite Eight upset win over John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins and the Kentucky Wildcats. The guard finished with 700 points and 340 assists for his career.

Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka reportedly will not resign from his position while he awaits punishment from the Boston Celtics for having a consensual relationship with a female member of the organization, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes.

Per multiple reports, he is potentially facing punishment and possibly a yearlong suspension.

While the actual details of the situation are unclear, the Celtics' handling of the situation to this point has been seen as suspect by some NBA pundits:

Udoka, 45, was entering his second season as head coach for the Celtics after leading the team to a 51-31 record and a trip to the NBA Finals, where they lost in six games to the Golden State Warriors.

Prior to joining the Celtics he spent time as an assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs (2012-13 to 2018-19), Philadelphia 76ers (2019-20) and Brooklyn Nets (2020-21).

He also had a seven-year career in the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers (2003-04), New York Knicks (2005-06), Portland Trail Blazers (2006-07) and San Antonio Spurs (2007-08 to 2010-11).

Additionally, he spent time playing professionally overseas in Europe.

Joe Mazzulla, 34, will take over as interim head coach. He has spent the past three years as an assistant coach for the Celtics under both former head coach and current President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens and Udoka.

There reportedly are "no guarantees" regarding Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka's future status following news from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski that he will likely be suspended for the entire 2022-23 season because of a violation of organizational guidelines related to a "consensual relationship with a female staff member."

Wojnarowski made the remarks on SportsCenter Thursday:

"There's not going to be any guarantees after a year of what the future might look like for Udoka," Wojnarowski said in part (2:00 mark).

Udoka, 45, just finished his first season as the Celtics' head coach after spending nine years as an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets.

Boston won its first Eastern Conference title since 2010 under Udoka, who propelled the C's to a 26-6 regular-season finish en route to a second-place mark in the East standings.

Assistant coach Joe Mazzulla will "likely" take over as the team's interim head coach, per Wojnarowski.

Mazzulla, 34, joined the Celtics as an assistant in 2019 when Brad Stevens was still the head coach. Stevens has since moved into the front office to run basketball operations, but Mazzulla stayed on when Udoka came aboard.

Mazzulla was a head coach at Division II Fairmont State from 2017-19, compiling a 43-17 record and leading the team to the NCAA tournament in his second year. He was also as an assistant for the Celtics' G League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws (now Celtics), in 2016-17.

The opportunity is there for Mazzulla if he is in fact named the team's head coach. Even if Udoka comes back in 2023, Mazzulla could be auditioning for another head coaching job elsewhere in the league if he does well enough in Boston this year. And if Udoka doesn't come back, then he could be in line to lead the Celtics long term.

Boston opens the season on Oct. 18 against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka has reportedly considered resigning from his position amid allegations that he had a relationship with a female staffer.

According to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, the expectation within the Celtics organization is that Udoka will be suspended for the entire 2022-23 season if he doesn't resign first.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski was among the first to report on the possibility of a yearlong suspension due to a "consensual relationship" with a female staffer. Wojnarowski added that the Celtics could make an official announcement as early as Thursday.

If Udoka is either suspended for the entire season or resigns, the expectation is that assistant Joe Mazzulla will serve as the Celtics' interim head coach, per Wojnarowski.

In his first season at the helm in 2021-22, Udoka led the Celtics to a 51-31 regular-season record and then all the way to the NBA Finals before falling 4-2 to the Golden State Warriors.

All-Star Jayson Tatum enjoyed a career year with 26.9 points per game. Jaylen Brown also averaged 23.6 points per game, and Marcus Smart was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

The 45-year-old Udoka broke into the NBA as a player in 2003, and he spent seven years in the league with the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs and Sacramento Kings.

Udoka transitioned into coaching in 2012 as an assistant with the Spurs and remained with them until 2019, when he took a position with the Philadelphia 76ers. He spent the 2020-21 season with the Brooklyn Nets before getting his big break in Boston.

Regardless of Udoka's status, the Celtics are likely to be strong contenders in the Eastern Conference this season due to the deep and talented roster the front office has assembled.

The 2022-23 regular season will kick off next month, and the Celtics' season opener will be an Oct. 18 home date against the 76ers.

Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka is likely to receive a season-long suspension for having a relationship with another member of the organization, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Wojnarowski reported assistant coach Joe Mazzulla is expected to serve as interim head coach for the 2022-23 NBA season.

Wojnarowski first reported late Wednesday night that Udoka committed an "unspecified violation of organizational guidelines" that potentially warranted a significant punishment. Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium followed up to report the issue was "an improper intimate and consensual relationship with a female member of the team staff."

Udoka is approaching his second year as Boston's head coach. He helped guide the Celtics to a 51-31 record and an NBA Finals appearance in 2021-22, which raised expectations significantly for the upcoming campaign.

The reigning Eastern Conference champions are the betting favorites (+550) at FanDuel to win the 2023 NBA Finals.

Inserting Mazzulla into the interim role would at least help to maintain continuity. The 34-year-old was an assistant for the Maine Red Claws, Boston's NBA G League affiliate, in 2016-17, and he joined the Celtics coaching staff in 2019-20.

Mazzulla already received a promotion this offseason after Will Hardy left to become the Utah Jazz's head coach and took fellow Celtics assistant Evan Bradds with him.

Having appeared to be on a trajectory toward landing a head coaching gig down the line, Mazzulla will now have quite the audition in Boston.

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Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka is facing potential disciplinary action, which includes a "significant suspension" for having a consensual relationship with a woman on the Celtics staff, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Wojnarowski noted that Udoka's job is not currently in jeopardy and that a decision on the length of the suspension could come on Thursday. He also reported that Udoka could be sidelined for the entire 2022-23 season.

The Celtics hired the 45-year-old Udoka last offseason. Udoka had spent 2012-2021 as an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets.

In his first year as head coach, Udoka guided the C's to their first Eastern Conference title since 2010. Boston fell to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.

The Celtics are less than a month away from opening their season, as they start the 2022-23 campaign on Oct. 18 at home against the Philadelphia 76ers. There's now a significant possibility that Udoka won't be at that game given the latest news.

With a roster spot available, the Boston Celtics appear to have their sights set on adding a big man before the 2022-23 season begins.

The C's expressed "a little interest" in LaMarcus Aldridge during free agency, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, who also noted that Dwight Howard could be an option for the franchise.

Boston's interest in adding a veteran center comes as little surprise following the news that Robert Williams III will reportedly be sidelined four-to-six weeks after undergoing arthroscopic left knee surgery this week.

The "cleanup" procedure comes six months after Williams underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus. He is expected to miss the beginning of the 2022-23 campaign.

Williams emerged as a key contributor for the Celtics in 2021-22, averaging 10 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.2 blocks in 61 games—all starts—while shooting 73.6 percent from the floor.

Behind Williams, the Celtics have Al Horford and Luke Kornet on the depth chart. Horford will see the majority of minutes at center to begin the season, but having Kornet as his backup isn't ideal.

Aldridge, 37, is undoubtedly past his prime. However, he was still a key contributor for the Brooklyn Nets in 2021-22, averaging 12.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.0 block in 47 games while shooting 55 percent from the floor.

The seven-time All-Star might not be set on returning to the NBA in 2022-23, though. During an appearance on The Crossover NBA Show, Chris Mannix and Howard Beck of Sports Illustrated reported that Aldridge will "likely" retire this offseason.

If that's the case, the Celtics would need to do some heavy convincing in order to get the veteran to return to the court.

If Aldridge does retire, the C's could pivot to Dwight Howard, who had a decent season off the bench for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2021-22. He averaged 6.2 points and 5.9 rebounds in 60 games while shooting 61.2 percent from the floor.

Hassan Whiteside, Tristan Thompson and DeMarcus Cousins are among the other centers still available for the taking.

Luckily for the Celtics, Williams shouldn't be sidelined for too long. However, as they look to get back to the NBA Finals in 2022-23, adding another veteran big man could be a wise decision.