Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Celtics HC Ime Udoka likely facing season-long suspension for consensual relationship with staff member

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated 9/22/22

It was reported late Wednesday night that Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka was facing a possible " significant suspension" for his role in a consensual, improper and intimate relationship with a female staff member. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski had an update on Thursday morning.

Assistant coach Joe Mazzulla is likely to become Boston's interim coach for the season, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/GKEiMemnFN
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 22, 2022

During his first year as head coach last season, Udoka helped lead Boston to the NBA Finals, where they fell to the Golden State Warriors in six games. The 45-year-old has been in a relationship with his fiancée, actress Nia Long, for over a decade and the couple has one son together.

Having been just two wins away from capturing their record-18th NBA title and adding the likes of former Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon in the offseason, many pundits liked the Celtics chances to represent the Eastern Conference in the 2023 NBA Finals. It'll be interesting to see what an unexpected, late head-coaching change does to the team dynamic however.

Mazzulla is just 34 years old and has never been an NBA head coach. His only gig in the Association has been with the Celtics as an assistant, where he joined in June 2019.

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