2 years ago
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Nia Long SPEAKS OUT After Ime Udoka's Boston Celtics Suspension
Marcus Smart got candid astir the ongoing "hell" that helium and the remainder of the Boston Celtics person been going done implicit the past week.
Days aft the Celtics suspended caput manager Ime Udoka for violating squad policies, the guard, 28, spoke to reporters during their media time astir however the squad has been doing since uncovering retired astir their coach's suspension connected societal media.
"It's been hellhole for us," Marcus said, per The Athletic reporter Jared Weiss Sept. 26. "It happened successful a clip that we didn't person immoderate clip to recognize everything earlier media day...we conscionable recovered retired similar you guys did, truthful we're doing our champion to cope."
Though the squad is going done a pugnacious clip close now, Marcus said that they're just trying to negociate arsenic they commencement campy this week.
"Nobody died, truthful we didn't suffer anything," the reigning Defensive Player of the Year said. "I inactive emotion Ime arsenic a idiosyncratic and arsenic a coach. It's conscionable thing unfortunate that has happened to him. It doesn't instrumentality distant thing from him arsenic a coach, from however helium turned this squad around."
On Sept. 22, the Celtics announced that effectual immediately, Ime, 45, would be suspended arsenic caput coach for the 2022-2023 play for "violations of squad policies."
While the enactment did not elaborate further connected what rules were broken, ESPN, citing aggregate sources, shared earlier that time that Ime—who is engaged to actress Nia Long—was facing disciplinary enactment for allegedly having "an intimate narration with a pistillate subordinate of the franchise's staff."
Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Following the Celtics' announcement, Ime issued a connection to ESPN reporter Malika Andrews Sept. 22, apologizing to his "players, fans, the full Celtics organization, and my household for letting them down. I americium sorry for putting the squad successful this hard situation, and I judge the team's decision."
The time aft his suspension was declared, Nia—who shares son, Kez, 10, with Ime and is besides ma to son Massai, 21, from a erstwhile relationship—released a statement thanking everyone for their enactment during this hard time.
"I inquire that my privateness beryllium respected arsenic I process the caller events," the Best Man actress said successful a statement to E! News Sept. 23. "Above all, I americium a parent and volition proceed to absorption connected my children."
