The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team has not publicly disclosed that detail. In a statement issued Thursday night after a full day of wrangling over the terms of the suspension, the Celtics said Udoka violated team policies and left open the possibility of a longer separation. “A decision on his future with the Celtics beyond this season will be made at a later date,” the team said. Assistant coach Joe Mazzula will take over as interim coach, one of the people who spoke to the AP said. The defending Eastern Conference champions are scheduled to hold media day Monday and open training camp Tuesday in preparation for the Oct. 18 season opener. In a statement released by ESPN, Udoka apologized “to our players, our fans, the entire Celtics organization and my family for letting them down.” “I’m sorry to have put the team in this difficult situation and I accept the team’s decision,” he said. “Out of respect for all involved, I will have no further comment.” A longtime assistant in his first NBA coaching job, Udoka led Boston to a 51-31 record last season – going 26-6 over the last 32 games. The Celtics beat Brooklyn, Milwaukee and Miami en route to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Golden State Warriors in six games. The developments stunned the NBA and shook a team that was one of the favorites to claim the championship this season. It would be an unprecedented 18th title for the franchise. But in Boston, the story was reminiscent of the citywide turmoil in 2020, when Red Sox manager Alex Cora was fired by Major League Baseball for a year for his role in a sign-stealing scandal at his previous job, with the Houston Astros. Instead, the sides split. After a last-place finish under Ron Roenicke in the pandemic-shortened season, Cora was rehired a year later and welcomed back. It’s unclear whether Udoka and the Celtics will be as eager to reunite. Udoka, 45, spent most of his NBA career with San Antonio before joining Spurs coach Gregg Popovich’s staff as an assistant. Udoka was on the Spurs staff from 2012 to 2019, won it all in ’14, and quickly found his way onto short lists for open coaching positions. He spent the 2019-20 season in Philadelphia and the 2020-21 season in Brooklyn before the Celtics hired him in June 2021 as the successor to Brad Stevens – who moved up to the front office. In his first year, Udoka finished fourth in coach of the year voting and the Celtics came within two wins of the championship. “The future is bright and we’re just getting started,” Udoka said after the NBA Finals. Maybe not. The bombshell on the eve of training camp is the latest twist in what was supposed to be a promising season for the NBA’s most decorated franchise. Ime Udoka, center left, chats with players during the first half of Game 2 of the NBA Finals in June. Photo: Jed Jacobsohn/AP The Celtics bolstered their secondary roster by acquiring guard Malcolm Brogdon in a trade from Indiana and then added veteran forward Danilo Gallinari in free agency. But last month, Gallinari tore the ACL in his left knee and will be out for next season. Center Robert Williams, a staple of Boston’s defense that played through injuries in last season’s playoffs, is still dealing with knee soreness and is expected to miss the season opener. The Celtics have also been linked to speculation about a new home for Brooklyn forward Kevin Durant, a perennial All-Star who asked for — and then withdrew — a trade request. While the talks were nothing, they do raise questions about Boston’s commitment to young star Jaylen Brown. It’s also the second major disciplinary situation in as many weeks in the NBA: Commissioner Adam Silver decided last week to suspend Robert Sarver — the owner of the Phoenix Suns and the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury — for one year and fine him. $10 million after an investigation showed a pattern of disruptive behavior in the workplace, including abusive and racist language. Sarver said Wednesday that he plans to sell his teams. Mazzulla interviewed for the Utah Jazz coaching job this summer, a position that eventually went to Will Hardy – another Udoka assistant in Boston last season. Mazzulla’s only previous head coaching experience is a two-year stint at Division II Fairmont State in West Virginia, where he went 43-17 and made the NCAA Tournament in his second season. A native New Englander from Rhode Island, Mazzulla played at West Virginia, was an assistant for the Celtics’ G League team before taking over at Fairmont State, and was then re-hired by the Celtics in June 2019 to join Stevens’ staff. Mazzulla’s last game at Fairmont State was against Mercyhurst. His first real game with the Celtics will attract a little more attention: Boston is scheduled to host longtime rival Philadelphia in the opener, when they will mark a year for Hall of Famer Bill Russell.
