Celtics Owner Wyc Grousbeck on Suspending Ime Udoka for 2022-23 Season: 'well warranted and appropriate'

Wyc Grousbeck and Brad Stevens address suspending Ime Udoka for 2022-23 season.

Friday, Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck and president of basketball operations Brad Stevens held a press conference to address the organization's decision to suspend Ime Udoka for the 2022-23 season for what's getting labeled an improper intimate and consensual relationship with a female staff member.

During the presser, Grousbeck shared that the Celtics hired a law firm to investigate Udoka's violations of team policies. That investigation concluded two days ago.

Of the organization's decision to suspend Udoka for the 2022-23 season but not fire him, Grousbeck expressed the following.

"I personally feel that this is well warranted and appropriate, backed by substantial research and evidence and facts, and I'm standing by this decision, and Ime has accepted it."

Grousbeck also stated, "the suspension comes with a very significant financial penalty." Additionally, the franchise has not, at least at this point, come up with the criteria for what it would take for Udoka to resume coaching this team after his suspension. The Celtics made it clear to him that he is not guaranteed that opportunity.

In his opening statement, Grousbeck declared: "It's a time of concern, reflection and action. We have strong values at the Celtics, and we are doing our best to uphold them here."

He also expressed the Celtics regret that female staff members got dragged into the public eye in recent days.

An emotional Brad Stevens said, "we have a lot of talented women in our organization, and I thought yesterday was really hard on them...We have a responsibility in our organization to support them since a lot of people unfairly were dragged into that."

He later added, "I don't know how we control Twitter. There's only so much we can say."

Further Reading

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