"Nobody can control Twitter speculation and rampant bulls**t" – Boston Celtics president affirms the violations by Celtics coach, says those "unfairly dragged" into the case will be assisted by organization
Boston Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck and president of basketball operations Brad Stevens kept the communication to the point during a Friday morning news conference. Grousbeck reiterated Ime Udoka’s suspension and reserved the facts due to privacy reasons.
The Celtics earlier announced that Udoka would be suspended for the entirety of the 2022-23 season. The owner and president spoke about the investigation process, which involved hiring an outside law firm. He recollected the events as a really tough time for the organization.
“A lot of people were dragged into that unfairly.”
Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens had some strong feelings about the female staffers being dragged into the social media conversation. https://t.co/Q2IvR7VGeZ
Seculation of the parties involved in the incident dragged many female employees into controversy. Stevens declared his support for the people who were unfairly dragged into the matter. He said:
“We have a lot of talented women in the organization, and I thought yesterday was really hard on them. You know, nobody can control Twitter speculation and rampant bulls**t.
“But, I do think, we as an organization have a responsibility to make sure we’re there to support them now. 'Cause a lot of people were dragged unfairly into that.”
Rumors about different Celtics female employees floated around the internet, linking them to Udoka. The Celtics’ decision to restrain details of the issue was solely to maintain privacy, but a lot of unverified stories surfaced anyway.
Brad Stevens dismissed idea of stepping into a coaching position for the Boston Celtics
Brad Stevens coached the Boston Celtics for eight years before replacing Danny Ainge as the president of basketball operations. He finished his stint with a 354-282 record and seven playoff appearances. Ime Udoka took the reins from him at the start of last season.
What are the Celtics getting in interim head coach Joe Mazzulla?
“His growing reputation over the past few years was validated when he nearly got the Utah Jazz job this offseason.”
@ByJayKing and @JaredWeissNBA discuss: theathletic.com/3620658/?sourc… https://t.co/Q6UOsQ0EFb
In the wake of the suspension, Udoka will be replaced by assistant coach Joe Mazzulla, who will now be the interim head coach. Stevens was asked whether he would consider taking over as coach.
“Absolutely not,” Stevens said. “There is a lot of factors in play of why I wouldn’t necessarily even wanna do that. But I think that, and I’ve told Joe this, I’m gonna be there for him, without stepping on his toes, as much as he needs. But he doesn’t need much. I believe in that strongly.”
The Boston Celtics used a midseason run to catapult themselves to the franchise's 22nd finals appearance. Although Udoka was the biggest voice in the locker room, Mazzulla helped players considerably by virtue of being an assistant coach. It will be interesting to see how the Celtics start the new season under a new coach yet again.