Celtics/NBA Celtics to suspend coach Ime Udoka for a year, will make Joe Mazzulla interim coach

[Fenway]

Celtics suspend coach Ime Udoka for a year for violations of team policies, his future with team unclear - The Boston Globe

Assistant coach Joe Mazzulla is expected to guide the team in place of Udoka.

www.bostonglobe.com

Celtics coach Ime Udoka is expected to receive a one-year suspension because of a consensual relationship with a female staff member, according to a league source. Boston assistant coach Joe Mazzulla has been informed that he will guide the team in place of Udoka, the source said.

The Celtics are expected to issue a statement on the situation as soon as Thursday.

It is a jarring development for a team that came within two wins of an NBA title last season and enters this season as the favorite to win the championship. Udoka led the Celtics to the NBA Finals last year in his first season as an NBA head coach and finished fourth in the voting for coach of the year.

Mazzulla was hired by former Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge to be an assistant on then coach Brad Stevens’s staff in 2019 and has quickly ascended. He interviewed for the Utah Jazz opening in June before eventually being promoted to a bench role on Udoka’s staff.

The Celtics are scheduled to hold media day on Monday before opening training camp at the Auerbach Center on Tuesday.

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[Alicat]

Definitely more to this whole story. Sigh

 

[GatorMike]

See Jeanie Buss and Phil Jackson

You forget the Golden Rule:

"Whoever has the gold, makes the rules."

 

[The National]

True. He's right in asking why was it necessary to leak this. I know he's over the top but I'm glad there is someone out there asking why. I also think he's throwing shade at the lack of coverage on Brett Favre who did something far worse than what Ime has done.

Yeah also think Ime is more relevant than Favre at the moment. Celts just went to the finals, Favre hasn’t played in like a decade. But agree Favre not talked about as much as I thought he would.

Worried about the effects on Tatum, Brown and rest of the team.

 

[Alicat]

 

[Johnnyduke]

This is fine. If it were 1987.

This is textbook bad behavior in any workplace now. The power dynamic can't be ignored. It's just something you can't do - if they want a relationship, one needs to leave.

OK so one needs to leave. How do you implement a one year suspension when the proposition could be hey one of you guys will need to leave your position if you want to continue the relationship. You can classify it however you want. I just refuse to call this an inappropriate relationship barring new details.

Honestly, how is Wyc ok with propping up this Mazzulla character after all this?

 

[smithformeragent]

The stars were aligned for this team to break through and have a legitimate shot at winning a title.

They had probably the best chance out of any team in the market.

Wow. Just wow.

Be better.

 

[GatorMike]

 

[The National]

Lets sim past this season



This thing is weird

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

OK so one needs to leave. How do you implement a one year suspension when the proposition could be hey one of you guys will need to leave your position if you want to continue the relationship. You can classify it however you want. I just refuse to call this an inappropriate relationship barring new details.

Honestly, how is Wyc ok with propping up this Mazzulla character after all this?

You can refuse.
But you’d be way out of touch.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

This whole thing is eye rolling levels of dumb.

This is such an atrocity/think of the children, but Phil Jackson banging the owner's daughter/a team executive is a-ok...

 

[Johnnyduke]

You can refuse.
But you’d be way out of touch.

Fine by me. Now go lecture someone else.

 

[13Hockey]

 

[The National]

Haha so then Ime is gonzo, go with the guy that Tatum/Brown wants, not Brad.

 

[McGarnagle]

You're suspending your conference-winning head coach for a full year because he banged some ball girl or assistant trainer or something? f***ing who cares? Soft.

 

[shelbysdad]

This is amazing....players charged with abuse, and nothing. Assault, weapons charges, murder charges, nothing. People in public service get accused of all kind of things.....nothing

But a relationship that both agreed on....see ya...

I could understand if it was not consented.....Men and woman work together in places all over the country...it happens...I worked in a hospital years ago as an orderly....and there were nurses.....so I guess I worked under them (pun intended) , but the supervisors knew and nothing was ever said....

Mix men and women....it's gonna happen.

 

[Gee Wally]

To me, like in many corporations nowadays, is there a formal Code of Conduct? That is mandatory to abide by as a condition of employment?

If so, then thems the breaks.

If not, then this is on a slippery slope.

My roles going back decades has had a policy governing such things. In near all it was incumbent upon the parties to let the company know if they were ‘involved with one another’. In most cases as as a preamble the companies acknowledge that consenua attraction happens. In most cases the remedy is that the parties involved reporting structure, department, site, or any combination would need to be changed. Very rarely , but possible, one must leave the company.
In all cases keeping it secret or denying it if confronted would be dealt with more harshly.

At least this is what Im accustomed to.

 

[The National]

Ime’s gonna resign and take over for Nash in Brooklyn.

 

[shelbysdad]

To me, like in many corporations nowadays, is there a formal Code of Conduct? That is mandatory to abide by as a condition of employment?

If so, then thems the breaks.

If not, then this is on a slippery slope.

My roles going back decades has had a policy governing such things. In near all it was incumbent upon the parties to let the company know if they were ‘involved with one another’. In most cases as as a preamble the companies acknowledge that consenua attraction happens. In most cases the remedy is that the parties involved reporting structure, department, site, or any combination would need to be changed. Very rarely , but possible, one must leave the company.
In all cases keeping it secret or denying it if confronted would be dealt with more harshly.

At least this is what Im accustomed to.

It certainly is a slippery slope.....if there is a policy....and what does that policy mean....can you go out and have a drink after work like several people do? even if nothing happens? can you hang out as friends that never turns into anything physical or becomes a relationship?

Really grey area....

 

[Gee Wally]

It certainly is a slippery slope.....if there is a policy....and what does that policy mean....can you go out and have a drink after work like several people do? even if nothing happens? can you hang out as friends that never turns into anything physical or becomes a relationship?

Really grey area....

in most cases I’ve been exposed to its quite simple.

are you a couple?

because depending on role it can lead to conflict of interest. Claims of favoritism real or imagined. Or physical or offensive misconduct charges later.

The policy if in place is significant cover your ass. For all 3 involved. The company and the individuals .

Like I said, my personal opinion, if its a formal policy and parties thumb their noses at it , well then screw ‘em.

but Ive worked under these policies going back to the 80s.

 

[McGarnagle]

Honestly, even with the power dynamics at play, unless there are some smoking gun texts/emails/eyewitness accounts where Ime preyed on this girl and promised her promotions if she did or threatened to have her fired if she didn't, this seems like a massive overreaction. Every report so far is saying it's all purely a consensual fling on both sides. Hot and/or rich people hook up, that's what they do. I'd be surprised if most of the NBA players didn't have side chicks and I'm sure many of them are team employees or cheerleaders. Unless it was demonstrable sexual harassment , it's firmly in the "it's bad but it's not that bad" territory.

Poor Nia Long though, having it so publicly dragged through the mud that her man was cheating.

 

[EverettMike]

I'm BEGGING some of you to critically think why this isn't equivalent to Phil Jackson sleeping with the owner's daughter. Take one moment to use your brain.

Anyway, all I can think is that the organization has a very explicit rule about this exact situation---a manager having a relationship with an employee---and that the rule was made absolutely clear when they hired Udoka.

They have to be beyond furious to go the mattresses like this.

 

[Lobster57]

Lets sim past this season



This thing is weird

Shit like this tweet bother me. Like, with the hints there, 3 minutes on google and anyone can narrow it down to a couple names. So either just come right out and name them, get your initial hit of clicks and deal with the consequences, or shut the f*** up about it.

 

[quietbruinfan]

Wow, I predict at some point, Ime will resign. As someone else says on this site, "book it." I also think there is a good chance he goes to the Nets. That is not a book it.

There has to be more to this, but we do not need to know it.

I also think they will hire Vogel as lead assistant as he used to be the video break down guy here way back, and knows Stevens. He is a good coach and would be a good hire. Close to a book it.

Btw I was only moderately impressed with Udoka. He was a good defensive coach who knew opponent's offensive tendencies. However, I do not think he was that good at x and o's or other parts of offensive coaching.

 

[Lobster57]

Wow, I predict at some point, Ime will resign. As someone else says on this site, "book it." I also think there is a good chance he goes to the Nets. That is not a book it.

There is indeed more to this, but we do not need to know it.

I also think they will hire Vogel as lead assistant as he used to be the video breakdown guy here way back, and knows Stevens. Close to a book it.

ooohh...i wonder if there is a transitive property to "book it's" where they are just as inaccurate for others as they are for the OG