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The Boston Celtics suspended their coach, who coached the Philadelphia 76ers in 2019-20, after it came to light that he had an improper relationship with a female staffer and made inappropriate comments to her following the end of that relationship, ESPN reports.
Team officials refused to go into details about what happened between the two during a press conference Friday morning.
Meanwhile, Barnes said he spoke with someone with knowledge of the situation, and that it's a lot worse than what's being reported.
"This situation in Boston is deep. It’s messy. It’s 100 times uglier than any of us thought," the "All The Smoke" podcast host said. "… Some things happened that I can’t condone — that I can’t back."
He posted a video to Instagram explaining that he supported Udoka after the Celtics announced Thursday night, Sept. 22, that the team would suspend him for the entire 2022-23 season but quickly deleted those comments once someone called him to explain what happened.
Udoka said he accepted his year-long suspension and apologized to his family, his players, and the Celtics for his behavior.
“I want to apologize to our players, fans, the entire Celtics organization, and my family for letting them down,” Udoka said. “I am sorry for putting the team in this difficult situation, and I accept the team’s decision. Out of respect for everyone involved, I will have no further comment.”
Udoka is engaged to actress Nia Long. The couple has a 10-year-old son. Support for Long has poured in online since news of the affair broke earlier this week. She thanked fans for that but asked for privacy.
"The outpouring of love and support from family, friends, and the community during this difficult time means so much to me," Long told TMZ in a statement. "I ask that my privacy be respected as I process the recent events. Above all, I am a mother and will continue to focus on my children."
Udoka led the Celtics to the NBA Finals last season as a first-year head coach but lost to the Golden State Warriors. Boston was one of the odds-on favorites to make a run for an NBA Championship. Assistant coach Joe Mazzulla will serve as interim head coach.
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