The Boston Celtics are currently the best team in the NBA, which is a huge accomplishment they should be proud of.
They should be even more proud of that feat because they have been through an awful lot during the last year.
After coming close to winning the Finals last season, the Celtics suffered a tough summer full of shocks, controversies, and injuries.
The biggest news from the Celtics came when the team suspended head coach Ime Udoka after it was revealed that he had an inappropriate relationship with a female staffer.
Since then, Joe Mazzulla has taken over that position permanently and Udoka was officially fired by the team.
But that doesn’t mean that players on the roster don’t still hold a special place in their hearts for Udoka.
Jayson Tatum, the team’s biggest player, spoke about his relationship with Udoka.
Jayson Tatum on Ima Udoka’s removal from Celtics:
“I can't take away the relationship that me & him had and the impact that he had on me in that 1 season… It's just a different kind of relationship I have with Ime & probably like my favorite coach I've had.”
(via @TomerAzarly) pic.twitter.com/LFShYsXHtF
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) February 22, 2023
“I can’t take away the relationship that me and him had,” Tatum said at the recent All-Star Media Day.
He continued: “It’s just a different kind of relationship I have with Ime and probably like my favorite coach I’ve had.”
Despite everything that went down and the damage he did to his career, no one can deny that Udoka had a powerful and amazing first season as the team’s head coach.
He led the Celtics to new heights and helped them once again become the powerhouse squad they are now.
It’s not a surprise that Tatum is still close with Udoka even if he’ll never work with him again.
We don’t know what the future holds for Udoka and there is a good chance he doesn’t coach in the league again.
But it’s clear that he will retain some relationships that he built during his one year leading the Celtics.
NEXT: Jayson Tatum Hopes To Repeat Recent NBA MVP History
