Photo Credit: AP Photo/Steven Senne, File

Stephen A. Smith Says The Celtics Didn’t Fire Ime Udoka Because They Didn’t Want Him To Join The Brooklyn Nets

Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka dominated the headlines this past offseason, after it was revealed that the 45-year old head coach had an inappropriate relationship with a female Celtics staffer. Due to this and among other team violations, Udoka is currently suspended for the entire 2022-23 NBA season.

Speaking about Udoka and the Celtics before their season opener against the Philadelphia 76ers last night, Stephen A Smith said that he thinks the Celtics suspended Udoka rather than firing him, because they wanted to keep him away from joining the Brooklyn Nets.

“I believe part of the reason he was suspended, not fired, is because the Boston Celtics did not want him to end up in Brooklyn. I believe that Ime Udoka, had he gotten fired, with all the stuff that happened — remember, the operative words were ‘consensual relationship, violation of organization policy!’ So because it’s that, it’s about your behavior, which we don’t endorse, as opposed to a crime.

And because there was nothing that was put out there that said it was a crime, I believe that if Ime Udoka had been fired by the Boston Celtics, the Brooklyn Nets would’ve fired Steve Nash and brought that brother back and he would be the coach for the Brooklyn Nets right now. That’s how emphatic I am about this.”

“I believe that part of the reason [Ime Udoka] was suspended, but not fired is because the Boston Celtics did not want him to end up in Brooklyn… The Nets would have fired Steve Nash and brought [Udoka] back & he would be the coach.”

️ @stephenasmith pic.twitter.com/3Mhewu4u88

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) October 18, 2022