Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka’s future is still in question after reports began to surface the internet Wednesday night that Udoka had an “improper intimate and consensual relationship” with a female member of the team’s staff.
As we previously reported, the team says that his behavior was a violation of the team’s code of conduct, and Udoka could be facing suspension. A tweet from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Thursday revealed that Udoka is expected to be suspended for the entire 2022–23 season, although the team has yet to confirm that information.
Udoka’s actions and the Celtics’ response has sparked a major debate on social media regarding how the coach should be punished. Former Celtics forward Paul Pierce weighed in on the conversation on Thursday, saying “It should just be a fine not a suspension,” Pierce tweeted, with a shrugging emoji.
It should just be a fine not a suspension 🤷🏾♂️
— Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) September 22, 2022
Speaking on the Celtics situation
— Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) September 22, 2022
Udoka, 45, has been with actress Nia Long since 2010. Long is known for her roles in “BIg Momma’s House,” “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and “Love Jones” among others. The two have one son, and she had a son from a previous relationship. Long told Essence in 2015 that she had no plans to marry.
“Love is complicated, let’s just start there,” she told the outlet. “And then you start a marriage, which I’ve never been married. And there’s a reason for that because I don’t know that I need to say ‘I do’ to prove to you that I love you. But also, what does marriage really [mean]… that you own me now and I own you? I don’t get that part.
“I understand the religious aspect of marriage. That is beautiful, and it’s fantastical, and it’s dreamy, and it’s every girl’s fantasy to have that moment. But I don’t know that I need that to feel like I’m in a partnership that’s working.”