Ime Udoka suspended over consensual affair with Celtics' staff

The Boston Celtics have announced a season-long suspension of their Nigerian-American head coach, Ime Udoka.

The NBA franchise on their official Twitter handle said Udoka is suspended for the entire 2022-23 NBA season for “violations of team policies.”

“A decision about his future with the Celtics beyond this season will be made at a later date,” the team said in a statement.

“The suspension takes effect immediately.”

Though the Celtics were silent about what Udoka’s policy violations were, an earlier report by ESPN and The Athletic revealed the 45-year-old had a consensual relationship with a female member of the Celtics staff that broke the franchise’s code of conduct.

Udoka’s season-long suspension ranks among the harshest ever issued to an NBA head coach, and it is coming barely a week to the commencement of the Celtics’ pre-season training camp.

In a statement obtained by ESPN, Udoka said he has graciously accepted the Celtics’ decision and would make no further comments on the issue.

“I want to apologise to our players, fans, the entire Celtics organisation, and my family for letting them down,” Udoka 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.”

Last season with the Celtics was Udoka’s first as a head coach in the NBA, and he led Boston to an Eastern Conference title and NBA Finals where the Celtics lost to the Golden State Warriors.

The Celtics are favored to win the East with a returning core featuring Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart.

Before becoming coach of the Celtics, Udoka was an assistant coach in the NBA and had long been considered one of the top assistants in the league.

Udoka, 45 and a native of Portland, Oregon, attended Utah State Eastern and San Francisco and finished his college career at Portland State, averaging 14.5 points and 7.3 rebounds in his senior season.

Born in the United States, Udoka is of Nigerian descent and played for Nigeria’s national team in international competitions.

Udoka was undrafted in 2000 and spent a few seasons in low level pro leagues in the United States. He also played in Spain and France. His NBA career began with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2003-04, and included stints with the New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs and Sacramento Kings.

He appeared in 316 NBA games, his best season coming in 2006-07 when he averaged 8.4 points and 3.7 rebounds in 75 games for the Trail Blazers.

Following his final season as a pro in Spain in 2012, Udoka joined the Spurs coaching staff and was part of the team that defeated the Miami Heat in the 2014 Finals.

He spent a season with the Philadelphia 76ers (2019-20) and a season with the Brooklyn Nets (2020-21). Following Brad Stevens' decision to leave the bench and move into Boston’s front office, the Celtics hired Udoka.

Udoka brought a defensive-minded mentality. He is tough on players in person and in the media, but they respect his approach. Udoka helped turn the Celtics into a championship contender, especially in the second half of the season when they turned a 23-24 record into a 51-31 record and the second seed in the East.

He went head-to-head with great coaches in the playoffs (Miami’s Erik Spoelstra, Milwaukee’s Mike Budenholzer and Golden State’s Steve Kerr) and more than held his own.

Udoka has been in a long-term relationship with actress Nia Long. They became engaged in 2015 and have a 10-year-old son.