Ime Udoka’s scandal is evolving quickly as more details hemorrhage from a formerly tight reservoir of information. Now details have emerged of an alleged conversation caught on the doorbell camera of a Boston Celtics staffer who many believe had an affair with Udoka; reportedly, Udoka also had an affair with a second Celtics staff member.
According to “Entertainment Tonight,” the female staffer Udoka was involved with and heard on security camera communicating with is married. Some reports point to Celtics employee Kathleen Nimmo-Lynch, who is married to Celtics vice president of Finance Patrick Lynch.
It was Patrick Lynch, according to reports, who overheard a conversation on the security camera between his wife and Udoka, exposing the affair.
"It's been hell for us… these last couple days for us have been confusing."
Marcus Smart reacts to Ime Udoka's suspension, and Joe Mazzulla stepping in as interim head coach pic.twitter.com/IwD4YJCDco
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) September 26, 2022
The Boston Celtics coach apologized after the allegations surfaced that he engaged in an intimate relationship with a team staffer, which is against the franchise’s code of conduct. Since, the 45-year-old coach has been suspended from the team for the 2022-2023 season in only his second year as a head coach. On June 28, 2021, Udoka became the 18th head coach in Celtics history.
“I want to apologize to our players, fans, the entire Celtics organization, and my family for letting them down,” Udoka said. “I am sorry for putting the team in this difficult situation, and I accept the team’s decision. Out of respect for everyone involved, I will have no further comment.”
Udoka has been engaged to actress Nia Long for nearly a decade, and the two have a 10-year-old son, Kez. Long also has another son, Massai, from a previous relationship and moved to Boston recently. Her move was reportedly coordinated with the help of Celtics staffer Nimmo-Lynch, with whom Udoka allegedly cheated.
The cheating allegations reportedly blindsided Long, as it has been alleged that she had no idea about the cheating until the Celtics announced Udoka’s suspension. Additionally, rumors have ranged from a disgruntled player revealing the affair to now the doorbell camera catching the woman on camera discussing the relationship.
“I am concerned about the situation and its impact on everybody in the Celtics’ organization,” Boston Celtics governor Wyc Grousbeck said during a news conference at the team’s practice facility on Friday, Sept. 23. “I do hope this represents the beginning of a new chapter, and a chance to turn the page and move forward with things, to some extent, resolved.
“We’re not going to get into our deliberations,” Grousbeck continued. “This felt right, but there’s no clear guidelines for any of this. It’s conscience and gut feel. We collectively came to this and got there but it was not clear what to do but it was clear something substantial needed to be done, and it was.”
Assistant coach Joe Mazzulla has been elevated to the interim head coaching position. Mazzulla, 34, is the youngest head coach to take over a team that reached the NBA Finals the prior season. He is also the youngest to be in that position to start a season since late Celtics legend Bill Russell, who became player-coach of the franchise in 1966-67 at 32 years old.
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