BOSTON — After the Boston Celtics launched an investigation into their head coach and before he was suspended for the 2022-23 NBA season as a result of their findings, Ime Udoka met with reigning Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart and “a couple” of his teammates in Los Angeles to discuss their championship pursuit. “That’s why it seems so off guard to us,” Smart said, “because everything seemed so normal.” No NBA coach has ever been expelled so abruptly before a season that carried… Source link
Read More »Joe Mazzulla to coach Boston Celtics after Ime Udoka’s ‘multiple violations’ of team policies
BOSTON — Following their suspension of head coach Ime Udoka for the entire 2022-23 NBA season, Boston Celtics managing partner Wyc Grousbeck and president of basketball operations Brad Stevens offered scant factual substance during Friday’s news conference, citing “privacy reasons for the people involved.” The Celtics officially suspended Udoka on Thursday night “for violations of team policies.” The news came less than 24 hours after The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported through anonymous… Source link
Read More »What Ime Udoka said to spark Celtics’ rally in Game 1
SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Warriors had just tacked on a blistering 38 points in the third frame of Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics on Thursday evening. For a Celtics squad that prides itself on the defensive end, it was a punch to the gut. The Warriors were up a comfortable 12. The crowd was deafening inside Chase Center, with two fans strolling through the 126-section concourse shouting, “We’re about to be up 2-0 after Sunday.” Sensing the contest slipping… Source link
Read More »Ime Udoka never stopped believing he could be head coach
MIAMI — Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka had to pay his dues before being given the keys to run an NBA team from the sideline. After former coach Brad Stevens decided to hang it up after eight seasons and head to the front office, the franchise had a paramount decision to make in the offseason of 2021. Could the Celtics afford to hire a first-year head coach to lead a team on the cusp of greatness? That was the million-dollar question once Udoka’s name began circulating as a potential… Source link
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