576 days ago, Ime Udoka walked off the TD Garden floor following the Celtics’ Game 6 loss to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.
It was Boston’s first NBA Finals appearance in 12 years – and Udoka guided them there as a rookie head coach.
Both players and fans alike believed that the marriage between Udoka and Boston was meant to be a lasting partnership. The players resonated with Udoka's message, and despite his reserved demeanor, Udoka appeared content in his role.
It was a partnership fated for long-term success.
That was until just five days before training camp was set to begin for the 2022-23 season, when the team suspended Udoka indefinitely for “violation of team policies.” It was revealed that Udoka had engaged in an improper intimate and consensual relationship with a female member of the team staff.
The suspension of Udoka resulted in Joe Mazzulla being appointed as the team's interim head coach. Following a remarkable start to the season, in which he led the Celtics to an NBA-best 42-17 record at the All-Star break, the team opted to remove Mazzulla's interim tag. This decision ultimately ended Udoka's franchise tenure after just one season.
On Saturday night, Udoka made his return to TD Garden for the first time since being suspended 476 days ago – and reflected on his biggest regret of how his tenure in Boston ended.
“Job not finished,” Udoka said. “The relationships you build and the people you impact. So that’d be the biggest thing. Formed a lot of relationships within a year and obviously want to get a chance to run it back with a group you feel you can build and grow with. So, letting the people down. I talked about the players, the relationships I built with them, the coaches that came with me, and then everybody else that was impacted by it. So, for me, the biggest thing I would say overall is letting some people down, for sure. But we’ve talked it out, and I’ve seen a lot of these people throughout the summer and talk regularly, and so we move past it.”
Beyond the success, Udoka has left a lasting impact on Boston in his lone season. His hard-nosed approach continues to shape the mindset of Boston's two superstars, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, cementing their mental toughness.
“They’ve taken those steps in confidence, been there, done that. I think going through that experience helps everyone across the board,” Udoka said on the growth of Boston’s two All-NBA wings.
“So, some little things, I might have imparted some wisdom on them as far as that, and just their growth in general. It’s a natural progression for those guys to become the All-NBA guys they are, and I think, for the most part, they’re going to be perennial year to year. So, [I’m] happy for them, not surprised by their growth or success. Just a natural step for them, especially them being the leaders now, and some of the veterans that were here before them moving on. The things I tried to preach to them, I think they’ve taken those to heart, and they continue to grow and are getting better and better.”
Both Udoka and his former players have been open about their maintained relationship. Over the summer, Udoka attended the wedding of former Celtics Marcus Smart, and on Saturday, Udoka mentioned on Saturday that he remains in regular contact, consistently checking in on his former players.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s relationships that have been built, and they are going to be long-lasting. So, we all check on each other. It’s no different than LaMarcus Aldridge or Joel Embiid or guys I’ve coached that I've gotten really close with,” Udoka said.
From that standpoint, regularly, [if] they do something crazy or they see me do something crazy on TV or whatever, they reach out. In general, I think being in L.A. in the summers, we all run into each other quite a bit and talk regularly. So, I wouldn’t say it’s different than anybody else, other than the fact that we had a lot of success in a short period and really formed great relationships.”
Upon his hiring in June of 2021, Udoka retained two coaches, Tony Dobbins and eventual successor Mazzulla, from Brad Stevens' prior staff. Udoka pointed out that the players influenced the decision to retain Mazzulla.
“I would say I kept him and Tony Dobbins, and there were two guys that were highly recommended, not only by the front office and people that were here but players, as well. And I took especially Marcus [Smart], Jaylen [Brown], Jayson [Tatum], and Al [Horford], the veterans; I took and heavily regarded who they liked and who they wanted to keep. And so, obviously, I didn’t know much about them beforehand. Then, obviously, getting a chance to work with those two, Joe and Tony throughout the year got to know them.
"In general, I always say I want guys that are ambitious, and you see that with Will Hardy and now Ben Sullivan and Joe will fit into the same mold of guys that want to be head coaches, and I think it sharpens the whole group up. In general didn’t know a ton coming in other than good recommendations from players and coaches and front office, Brad [Stevens] specifically, and got to know him and see why he’s having success here.”
While details of Udoka’s exit from the Celtics may never be known, the relationships formed during his time in Boston remain.
"We had a good year [here], not great year, [because we] didn't get it done. But yeah, I would say just seeing some people I haven't seen in a while ... then, once it's done, it's done. A first time for everything. We've been through it and are ready to move on.
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