'State Of Shock': Celtics React To Ime Udoka's Season-Long Suspension

BOSTON – Celtics players expressed shock, confusion, disappointment and ultimately resignation that the coach who guided them to within two victories of an NBA championship just three months ago will be gone from the bench for at least the next full season after Ime Udoka was suspended late last week for violating team policies that reportedly involved a sexual relationship with another team employee.

Players spoke publicly at the start of training camp Monday for the first time since meeting with team officials on Thursday, the official announcement of the season-long suspension Thursday night and a news conference involving Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck and team president Brad Stevens on Friday that shed little light into Udoka's actions and why they warranted such severe discipline.

"The initial reaction was literally a state of shock," said Marcus Smart, the team's longest-tenured player at eight years. "We couldn't believe what we were hearing — especially at the time we were hearing it — three days, four days, five days, whatever, right before Media Day.

"It's hitting us from all angles. We're just trying to figure it out just like everyone else."

Several players said the team — citing privacy concerns — has told them little, if anything, more than Grousbeck and Stevens said during Friday's news conference. The Celtics released a statement Thursday night saying Udoka was suspended effective immediately for the year for "violations of team policies" and that a decision about his future employment would be made at a later date.

"You read the statement, and if you watch the press conference, apparently it's a lot of things that they can't speak about," All-Star forward Jayson Tatum said. "I think I am kind of in the same boat that I don't know. So it's hard for me to answer if things were handled the right way or if they weren't."

Fellow All-Star Jaylen Brown allowed "there's a lot of speculation" and that, while he understands the privacy concerns, he said the whole situation requires more communication between the team and the players so they can move forward with the season starting next month.

"I wish we had more details," Brown said. "From what we know, it's hard to make a decision about whether it's consensual or not, in the workplace, or whatever is going on. We've known that's happened before in the workplace. But I guess there's more to it, possibly. We don't know."

ESPN and The Athletic initially reported on Wednesday night and Thursday morning that the pending suspension was in the aftermath of a consensual sexual relationship, but The Athletic later added that the investigation determined there were "unwanted comments" involved and indicated there was more to the discipline than simply an office affair.

Grousbeck confirmed at Friday's news conference that there were multiple violations involved on Udoka's behalf and that he was the only employee disciplined for the situation.

Udoka released a statement late Thursday apologizing to the players, fans, organization and his family for "letting them down" and saying he accepted the team's punishment.

"From what we do know the organization has handled it the right way," Smart said on Monday. "Everything that we started to build is starting over in a sense. But at the same time, we have to play basketball. People like their privacy just like any normal person and we have to respect that."

Smart added that "this is frustrating from all ends not knowing, not understanding because you don’t know" and that whatever happened should not diminish what the Celtics accomplished under Udoka last season.

"Still love Ime as a person, as a coach," Smart said. "It's just something unfortunate that has happened to him. It doesn't take away from what he did as a coach. It doesn't take away from how he turned this team around. How he led this team to (the first) Finals appearance in a long time.

"It's just something unfortunate that this is where we're at. We still love him. But this is where we're at."

The Celtics will now attempt to move forward as a NBA champion favorite under the leadership of 34-year-old first-time head coach Joe Mazzulla as practice begins on Tuesday.

"It's going to be something that we've got to address as a group," Brown said. "That's something we've started the process of doing. Not a lot of information is being shared. So, it's a lot of confusion going around. A lot of speculation going around. Which makes it difficult on the guys who have been here and the guys who are here now.

"I guess what we do is do our jobs. That's what we're here for."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)