Boston Celtics Coach Ime Udoka Suspended for Entire 2022-23 NBA Season | Here's Why

Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka has been suspended for the entire 2022-23 NBA season, the team announced Thursday.

According to Yahoo Sports, the Celtics said Udoka violated a team policy, resulting in his suspension. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted that assistant coach Joe Mazzulla will be the team's interim head coach in Udoka's absence.

According to the Celtics, a decision on Udoka's future with the organization following the 2022-2023 season "will be decided at a later period." Udoka apologized in a vague statement which ESPN's Malika Andrews tweeted.

"I want to apologize to our players, fans, the entire Celtics organization, and my family for letting them down," Udoka said.

He also said he was sorry for putting the team in this situation and accepted the team's decision. "Out of respect for everyone involved, I will have no further comment," he added.

Boston Celtics Coach Ime Udoka Violates the Team Policy

Citing anonymous sources, the Athletic's Shams Charania reported that Ime Udoka allegedly "had an improper intimate and consensual relationship with a female member of the team staff."

This is not new in the NBA. Minnesota Timberwolves general manager Gersson Rosas was sacked last year for allegedly creating a "toxic culture" within the organization and having an "inappropriate relationship" with a Wolves' female employee.

Despite rumors he might, Udoka has yet to resign. It is still unknown whether he will return to the Celtics in the future. According to NBC Sports, he was not assured that he would be brought back.

Boston Celtics Coach Ime Udoka's Career

Ime Udoka became the Celtics' head coach after his predecessor, Brad Stevens, became the team president. Under Udoka, the Celtics started the season 23-24, but they won 28 from their last 35 games, dominating the rest of the season.

They had the best defense in the NBA and got to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010. In the end, it took six games for the Golden State Warriors to beat Boston.

Udoka spent nine years as an assistant coach before joining the Celtics. He worked for Gregg Popovich with the San Antonio Spurs for seven years.

He also spent a year each working for Brett Brown with the Philadelphia 76ers and Steve Nash with the Brooklyn Nets, CBS Sports reported.

Mazzulla, on the other hand, worked as an assistant coach for both Udoka and Stevens. Danny Ainge, the then-team president, hired him in 2019.

Earlier this offseason, Mazzulla was interviewed for the open head-coaching position with the Utah Jazz, which went to Will Hardy, a former assistant coach with the Boston Celtics. Boston then shifted Mazzulla to the front bench.

Mazzulla has only been a head coach for two years at Division II Fairmont State in West Virginia, where he led the team to a 43-17 record and the NCAA tournament in his second year. He was born in Rhode Island and grew up in other parts of New England.

After attending West Virginia college and playing basketball there, he worked as an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics' G League team before taking over at Fairmont State. In June 2019, the Celtics hired him again to work with Stevens' team.

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Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Boston Celtics Suspend Head Coach Ime Udoka for the 2022-23 Season - From NBC Sports Boston