KEY POINTS

  • Celtics appointed Ime Udoka as their coach last season
  • He led Celtics to the NBA finals in his maiden stint as a head coach
  • Udoka was previously an assistant coach at Spurs, 76ers and Nets

Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka is reportedly facing disciplinary action ahead of the training camp.

Udoka has committed a violation of organizational guidelines and his disciplinary action could include a potential "significant suspension," according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Discussions are going on between the Celtics board before taking a final call.

The punishment will be decided internally within the club and will not involve the league, Yahoo Sports reported.

The Celtics coach had an improper intimate and consensual relationship with a female staff member, which is deemed a violation of the franchise's code of conduct, an unnamed source told The Athletic, according to Bleacher Report. However, International Business Times could not verify the information independently.

Udoka's punishment could be announced by Thursday. However, Udoka's job is reportedly not in jeopardy.

Udoka joined Celtics last year following Danny Ainge's retirement and after Brad Stevens moved to the team's front office as president of basketball operations. The 45-year-old coach, who is gearing up for his second season as Celtics' head coach, went 51-31 in the regular season last year and led the Celtics to the NBA finals in his first stint itself.

However, the Celtics lost the final 4-2 to Golden State Warriors. Prior to his appointment, the Nigerian-American had stints as an assistant coach with San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets between 2012 and 2021.

Ime Udoka, Boston Celtics
Head Coach Ime Udoka of the Boston Celtics reacts against the Miami Heat during the second quarter in Game One of the 2022 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Finals at FTX Arena on May 17, 2022 in Miami, Florida. Michael Reaves/Getty Images

The Celtics are scheduled to host their media day Monday before their training camp kicks off the next day in Boston. Celtics will begin their 2022-23 NBA season on Oct. 18 against the Philadelphia 76ers.

They are reportedly planning to sign big man Luka Samanic to a nonguaranteed training camp deal, according to media outlet CelticsWire. This came just a day after they waived Bruno Caboclo. The forward had joined Celtics in NBA free agency over the summer.

The arrival of Croatian basketball player Samanic will increase Celtics' depth for the upcoming season, especially with his career 29.4% 3-point shot at the NBA level. Samanic recorded a notable 27.9 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 41.5% from deep on nearly six attempts per game with the Westchester Knicks last season.

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