Ime Udoka could be out as Boston Celtics coach due to an affair with a woman on the team’s basketball staff.
The Celtics coach is considering resigning after news of his consensual affair exploded in the media Thursday.
With Udoka facing a possible season-long suspension, sources told SI’s Chris Mannix he might step down.
If he stays at his post, Udoka is facing disciplinary action for breaking organizational guidelines.
“Internally, coaches and staff members are bracing for the likelihood that Udoka will be suspended for one year for having a relationship with a female staffer,” Mannix tweeted Thursday.
ESPN Senior NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news that Udoka was facing a “significant suspension” for violating team guidelines.
Celtics assistant coach Joe Mazzula is poised to become Boston’s interim coach this season, added Wojnarowski.
Shams Charania followed by reporting that Udoka violated the franchise’s code of conduct by having an “improper intimate and consensual relationship with a female member of the team staff.”
It remains to be seen how the scandal will impact the Celtics on the hardwood and in the boardroom.
Last season, in his first year at the helm, Udoka led the Celtics to an Eastern Conference title and a berth in the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors, where they lost 4-2.
With a loaded lineup led by Jayson Tatum, the Celtics were expected to contend for an NBA-record 18th championship this season.
At a value of $3.6 billion, the Celtics rank as the league’s fifth most-valuable franchise, according to Forbes.
