Suspended Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Matt Barnes: Boston situation is '100 times uglier than any of us thought'

By Sean Keane | Last updated 9/23/22

After former player Matt Barnes defended Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka last night in a video, he has now deleted the post and retracted his comments. In a subsequent video, Barnes said he learned more about the situation and called the situation "deep and messy." Barnes commented:

"Last night, without knowing all the facts, I spoke on Ime Udoka's defense. After finding out the facts after I spoke, I erased what I had posted, because this situation in Boston is deep. It's messy. It's 100 times uglier than any of us thought...Some things happened that I can't condone, and I can't back."

Originally, Barnes state that consensual sexual relationships were "common" in the NBA among members of a staff, but clearly there's more to the Udoka story than has come out publicly. Perhaps that's why Udoka said he accepted the one-year suspension, which runs through June 30th, and apologized.

NEW: Statement from Celtics coach Ime Udoka pic.twitter.com/MFutFx7c3l
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) September 23, 2022

The full story will likely come out, but the Celtics are unhappy the story leaked, due to privacy concerns and the speculation that the team's female employees all have to face.

"It is really unfortunate that female staff members have been drug into the public eye unwillingly, and we regret this, and its unfortunate. I won't be referring to anyone else that might involved for privacy reasons," said owner Wyc Grousbeck.

In Udoka's absence, the Celtics will be led by 34-year-old Joe Mazzulla, who has come under scrutiny himself for two alcohol-related arrests in college, for domestic battery and underage drinking and fighting. In a press conference, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said the team was aware of the arrests when they hired Mazzulla in 2019 and "throroughly vetted" their new coach.

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