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Celtics make it official: Coach out for at least a year


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ESPN reports the rumor of it being due to an intimate relationship with a member of the team staff.

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They're going to call that a hard foul. THEY'RE GOING TO CALL THAT A HARD FOUL!!!???

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for turning this team from a middling also-ran into a very near champion. But I can't question the policy: there's always the issue of the power dynamic in workplace romances that can be plain wrong. The increased scrutiny of such relationships is a very good thing, in my book, a necessary balance against long-running, horrific abuses.

One might give Udoka the benefit of the doubt that the relationship was not exploitive (and I absolutely will not pass judgement on the fact that he is or was in another serious relationship -- maybe he's a cad or not, but it's none of my business, and beside the point.) In my own experience, the temptation can be tough to resist with someone you work with closely, get to admire for their professionalism, intelligence and other charms.

You put in long hours, have limited opportunities to meet people outside of work. That colleague you get to know well and like and are attracted to is right there. But I've also seen how the vast majority of such dalliances don't end well, peers or not, thus have never regretted not crossing that line myself. It's usually a terrible idea, though I've seen plenty of men who were convinced their position would immunize them from any blowback. In an earlier day, many of them were right.

But in 2022, it's at best a serious failure of judgement with hard consequences for the organization, even if the relationship was entirely consensual. Recognizing that has to trump my disappointment in my now greatly-diminished expectations for the team next season.

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I may be a cynic, but the only way that the Celtics are torpedoing Ime Udoka’s career is because they realized that scuttling this championship-potential season is cheaper than keeping Udoka as head coach and pretending his transgressions were minor.

The Celtics are being super vague because whatever romantic situation Ime found himself in bled into either the workplace or the business side of the team. It’s not a simple office affair; and the team might be legally and financially exposed or they know that something more damaging is going to drop.

I’m betting that a traditional cover up would expose the Celtics legally more than “suspending” Ime. Also, I wonder if the gf still works for the Celtics and, if not, has she retained counsel?

Long and short: I respect the Celtics but I doubt that this is an altruistic decision and I would bet that this is a business decision.

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how is that allowed and not a simple dating relationship between co-workers.

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That a supervisor cannot have a relationship with someone they directly supervise (or some wording like that). It would be up to HR or an HR attorney to determine whether or not a Vice President is a "direct" supervisor or whatever the wording may be.

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I would've walked into his office wearing a t-shirt that reads, "I Consent."

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The NBA is a player’s league. As long as the coach isn’t actively sabotaging the team, a veteran group like the Celtics will go as far as the players allow. This is Tatum and Brown’s team.

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until almost halfway through the season (17–19), at which point they stopped ignoring the philosophy that Udoka had been evangelizing from Day One (in a nutshell, "Forget about your selfish scoring and take ownership of the defensive end of the floor.") Once they got on board with it, they went 34–12 the rest of the way, and kept winning right through Game 3 of the Finals.

Tatum and Brown's team on its own was flailing. Udoka made the difference this year. It was the most remarkable turnaround I've ever witnessed as a Celtics fan, going back to the Bird era. The players didn't engineer that by themselves.

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The Athletic published late last night that Udoka had a relationship with someone but then after the relationship ended he continued to send her "unwanted" advances or something to that effect.

Now I'm learning the replacement coach had a Domestic A&B charge way back when or something?

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https://www.thedaonline.com/mazzulla-needs-to-be-punished/article_9807ab...

Got charged with domestic battery when he grabbed a woman by the throat in a hotel bar. This article is the first I've heard of him getting into it with a cop at a Pirates game. Sounds like "Instant A$$hole - just add alcohol and stir"

Edit: According to this article in the ProJo, got treatment and sober for 12 years

https://www.providencejournal.com/story/sports/nba/celtics/2022/09/22/bo...

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Back in the late 1980's, Bill Belichick reportedly had an affair with a married woman who worked on the Giants' owner's staff. It led to her divorce. Work in NY at the time is that it is why Wellington Mara would never have promoted him to Head Coach after Parcells.

It is amazing how these men can't control themselves and remain professional even with Million$ of reasons to do so.

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... and won coach of the year.

ime cheated on his baby-mama and is suspended for the year.

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Transparency and accountability is for little people.

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Seems like this "big person" is most definitely being held accountable.

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....and he put the organization at risk. Time to move on with a new coach.

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Celtics owners are not going to blow up their franchise over a consensual relationship between two adults.

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This guy had it made.

Given a great opportunity to be a 1st time NBA Head Coach with a respected franchise that has good ownership and history. Takes his team to the finals and nearly wins. His players respect him, ownership loves him. He was set for life...until...

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...people who have good impulse control don't get into these kind of situations. And people who have poor impulse control can't just turn it off because they suddenly have a lot to lose.

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