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Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka has been suspended by the team for the entire 2022-2023 NBA season effective immediately, the team announced Thursday night.
In their news release, the Boston Celtics cited “violations of team policies” as the reason for the suspension. The team said that a decision about Udoka’s future with the Celtics beyond this season will be made at a later date, signifying that harsher punishments could come down the road.
“I want to apologize to our players, fans, the entire Celtics organization, and my family for letting them down,” Udoka said in a statement following the suspension. “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 have no further comment.”
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— Boston Celtics (@celtics) September 23, 2022
Last year, during his first season as head coach of the Boston Celtics, Udoka led the franchise to the NBA Finals for the first time in 12 years, losing to the Golden State Warriors 4-2.
According to multiple league sources, Udoka allegedly had an improper intimate and consensual relationship with multiple female members of the team staff, which was a violation of the franchise’s code of conduct.
Celtics coach Ime Udoka had an improper intimate and consensual relationship with a female member of the team staff, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. It’s been deemed a violation of franchise’s code of conduct.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 22, 2022
Some members of the Celtics organization first became aware in July of the intimate relationship between Ime Udoka and a female employee, per sources.
Why, two months later, the Celtics levied Udoka with a one-season suspension — at @TheAthletic: https://t.co/MIoUU1TNK4
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 23, 2022
Coverage Of Ime Udoka Far Outweighs Brett Favre’s Welfare Scandal
Many on the internet are questioning why ESPN and other sites have had continuous coverage of Ime Udoka’s suspension, yet have had very little to say about Brett Favre scamming Mississippi welfare recipients of millions of dollars or current Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver committing racist, misogynistic, and deplorable workplace behavior for over a year.
Ime Udoka round the clock coverage…………… Brett Favre!?! pic.twitter.com/7BJQ8bZntr
— Gerald McCoy (@Geraldini93) September 23, 2022
Brett Favre waking up this morning and seeing that Ime Udoka, a coach most of America had never heard of, was dominating the sports news cycle rather than his alleged theft of one million dollars from the poorest people of Mississippi, the nation’s poorest state. pic.twitter.com/TxeMQVwDMP
— Jason Nichols (@drjasonnichols) September 23, 2022
ESPN has covered the Ime Udoka suspension like he is going to prison for a few years. Brett Favre stole money from poor people and ESPN doesn’t care. ? https://t.co/aMVePu7PZ4
— Matt Skraby (@MattSkraby) September 23, 2022
As residents of Jackson, Mississippi continue to struggle to have clean drinking water, texts from the Hall of Fame quarterback surfaced showing he was aware money was being diverted from helping Mississippians to pay him.
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Brett Favre: Will the media find out that we’re using welfare funds intended to help the poorest residents of America’s poorest state to build a volleyball center?
Nancy New: Nah. Oh yeah, the governor is fully on board!@ayewolfe five years later: https://t.co/rWXHRXISsu pic.twitter.com/wo3QuIYXaY
— Adam Ganucheau (@GanucheauAdam) September 13, 2022
No criminal charges have been brought against Favre yet, however mounting public pressure may see the now disgraced former quarterback held responsible for his actions.