The Boston Celtics have suspended head coach Ime Udoka for the upcoming NBA season less than a month before the start of the season.
The record-breaking team, with whom Udoka played for the title in the Finals against the Golden State Warriors at the end of his first season as head coach, cited a violation of internal rules as the reason.
A decision on the 45-year-old coach’s future will be made at a later date, it said on Thursday (local time). Several US media outlets including ESPN, “The Athletic” and the “Washington Post” reported Udoka had an “inappropriately intimate relationship” with a Celtics employee.
Mazzulla is considered the favourite to succeed him
“I want to apologize to our players, fans, the entire Celtics organization and my family for letting them down. I am sorry for putting the team in a difficult situation and accept the decision,” US media quoted Udoka as saying in a reaction. It was initially unclear who would take over his position for the duration of the suspension. His assistant Joe Mazzulla is considered the favourite.
The Celtics start the new season on 19 October with a home game against the Philadelphia 76ers.