Ime Udoka Told Celtics Players Reason for Suspension and Boston Moved On

Boston — Ime Udoka’s announcement of his return to the city, which came 478 days after he was suspended and ultimately fired by the Celtics, was met with significantly less excitement than anticipated. After their turbulent first season without Udoka, the Celtics continued their success with a 29-9 start. Under Udoka, the young Rockets experienced highs and lows before joining forces with assistants Ben Sullivan, Mike Moser, and Garrett Jackson to reach the 19-19 season. Greater issues plague both.

On his first visit to TD Garden following his dismissal from the team in September 2022, Udoka was destroyed 145-113 by the Boston Celtics. The player received no recognition from the organisation during the game. Their march to the NBA Finals ended in a defeat to the Warriors almost three months to the day. The club was just getting started, Udoka emphasised, and then his one and only season as head coach of the Celtics unexpectedly came to an end.

Udoka admitted on Saturday that he had disclosed the circumstances of his suspension to other Celtics, despite players’ uncertainty and annoyance in the days that followed the suspension.

“I would say they lied to you guys,” Udoka stated. “They were aware. A few of them were aware. Obviously I could talk to them. They refused to divulge anything in public. Whoever needed to know knew, then.

Before the game on Saturday, Udoka spoke with CLNS Media and said that disappointing some people was his biggest regret over the way his Boston career ended. For this reason, he made an effort to mend fences with his former players and coaching staff before stepping back to allow them to focus on the 2022–2023 season, for which he had almost entirely prepared, as well as developing a strategy in light of the Finals defeat. After talking earlier about the work he accomplished in his own life during his year-long hiatus from the game, he seemed invigorated and revitalised.

Key players and families from that Finals run were seen hugging before and after the game, demonstrating how the Celtics and their supporters had moved on as well. After Houston’s introductions, he was met with sporadic jeers and occasional applause, but Udoka never made an appearance on the game’s television screen. During the blowout, Ice Cube—the founder of the Big 3 league and a rap icon—got significantly more recognition. Joe Mazzulla and the players expressed appreciation for Udoka’s contribution to their career advancement over the next few weeks, months, and year.

Udoka told CLNS, “They’ve taken those steps and confidence and been there, done that.” “Having that experience is beneficial to everyone in general. In terms of the little things I may have taught them, as well as their overall development, it seems sense that those guys would eventually develop into the All-NBA players that they are. They will, for the most part, always be there, year after year, and we are quite delighted for them. Their success and growth are not surprising; in fact, it’s just a logical progression for them given that they are now in leadership roles and that some of the veterans who came before them are leaving. I believe that the lessons I taught them have stuck with them, as they have developed and improved.

Tatum revealed that he had spoken to his former head coach prior to the game, but he chose not to discuss their previous meetings. During Tatum’s dismissal, Payton Pritchard and Udoka, a fellow Portland native, joked together along the sidelines. During the summer, Udoka kept in regular contact with his old players, many of whom shared his experience in Los Angeles. They had met several times recently before Saturday, and they had all attended Marcus Smart’s wedding.They will reassemble next week. Udoka promised a more aggressive approach following the strategy he thought would slow Brown and Tatum made it difficult for his inexperienced, worn-out squad to perform.