After knowing next to nothing about it on Wednesday night, the situation revolving around Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka has become increasingly clear.
Udoka obviously had a relationship with a female staff member and broke the rules of the Celtics organization.
He has accepted his one-year suspension from coaching and is going to disappear from the public eye until he returns to the team.
However, there is still a lot we do not know.
For example, no one can guarantee that Udoka will actually be back.
In the official statement from the team, the Celtics mention that Udoka’s future with the team will be discussed at a later date.
This means that the front office might choose to officially fire Udoka and he might not ever come back to Boston.
Very noteworthy the #Celtics left the door open on Ime Udoka's status beyond this season. They aren't ready to fire him and he isn't prepared to "mutually part ways," so a resolution will come later. Still seems very unrealistic Udoka will ever coach Boston again.
— Adam Kaufman (@AdamMKaufman) September 23, 2022
Celtics analyst Adam Kaufman thinks that’s very possible:
“Very noteworthy the #Celtics left the door open on Ime Udoka’s status beyond this season. They aren’t ready to fire him and he isn’t prepared to ‘mutually part ways,’ so a resolution will come later. Still seems very unrealistic Udoka will ever coach Boston again.”
Kaufman’s tweet feels very accurate: the team has given itself a path to either firing Udoka or letting him return.
However, those expecting the coach in 2023-24 shouldn’t hold their breath.
Ime’s Time Running Out
The Celtics obviously aren’t sure about what they will do with Udoka.
With their clever wording they are leaving their options open and will obviously decide on his fate depending on how the new season goes.
It’s very likely that Udoka doesn’t come back because the team will likely do well without him and bringing him back isn’t really worth the headache.
If that occurs, he will always have one of the best first coaching seasons in NBA history.
It’s too bad that it was followed up by a huge mess.
NEXT: The Celtics Leave A Serious Option On The Table