Usually, the Media Day is used to start the season on a good basis, to swing good vibes with nice little statements prepared in advance. But in Boston this year, it’s the complete opposite. With the recent revelations concerning their coach Ime Udoka, the Celtics players find themselves in a clearly uncomfortable situation and it has been seen behind the microphones.
The mood was not really fun yesterday during the Media Day of the Celtics. With the Ime Udoka case hovering over the Boston franchise, the majority of questions logically revolved around the coach’s current situation, suspended for the entire coming season for his extramarital relationship with a member. of the C’s staff. A suspension that could turn into a dismissal if we are to believe the latest postponements and rumors, which suggests that this case would in fact be much deeper than what was initially reported when it spoke of an “intimate and consensual” relationship. At the time of these lines and while we are inevitably awaiting additional details in the days and weeks to come, it is difficult to say what the future of Udoka will be like, nevertheless it is clear that the Boston players see their preparation for the 2022-23 season be largely disrupted.
“We don’t have all the details”
During Media Day yesterday, Jayson Tatum and his pals shared their thoughts on the Ime Udoka case. Assuring journalists that they had learned the news like everyone else through the bomblets swung by Woj and Shams on Twitter, the Celtics players indicated in turn that they did not really have more information on this burning file. . “We don’t have all the details”, this is probably the sentence that was said the most yesterday. True or not, we let you judge, but what is certain is that between confusion, speculation and uncertainty, the working environment in which Boston players are currently evolving is far from ideal.
“If you read the press release or if you watch the press conference, obviously there are a lot of things they are talking about. [les Celtics, ndlr.] can’t express themselves, so I’m kind of in the same boat. I can’t say if things were handled the right way or not, because I don’t have all the details. »
– Jayson Tatum
“Little information has been shared, so there’s a lot of confusion and speculation, and it’s difficult for the guys who are there. […] Maybe it’s deeper than what’s already been revealed about what happened, but we don’t know. I don’t know, I don’t have all the details. »
– Jaylen Brown
“It’s hell for us. We were taken by surprise. Nobody really knows anything, so we’re in the dark like everyone else. The last few days have been really disturbing. We would like to know, but at the same time it does not concern us. These are their lives and it concerns them. As a player, we would like to know, but it is not an obligation. »
– Marcus Smart
While this matter may be private, as Marcus Smart indicates, the impact on the team as training camp begins is global. Remember that summer when all the lights were green in Boston? The big rise last season punctuated by participation in the NBA Finals, and the good recruitment achieved by the franchise with the arrivals of Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari had something to boost the hopes of Boston fans for the year to come. Today, Ime Udoka is in turmoil, Gallo is out for several months due to his big knee injury, and pivot Robert Williams III will also miss many weeks after another operation. A new proof that everything can go very very quickly in the NBA.
“There are a lot of things to digest. It was unexpected. After last year, we wanted to attack the season in a certain way, we were excited to accomplish certain things. That’s a lot to be honest. Like everyone else, I’m still trying to digest this knowing that training resumes on Tuesday. »
– Jayson Tatum on the Ime Udoka case
Now guided by young coach Joe Mazzulla, the Celtics will try to move forward as they can despite the chaos caused by the Ime Udoka affair. Will they be able to ignore all that and confirm their magnificent course of last season? Or on the contrary will it weigh so much that Boston will end up cracking?
Source texte : Media Day Celtics (via Ben Rohrbach de Yahoo Sports)