Celtics players in 'state of shock' after Ime Udoka's suspension: 'Just a lot to process'

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The Boston Celtics took on the press for the first time since their head coach, Ime Udoka, was suspended for violations of team policies after reportedly having a consensual relationship with a female staffer in the organization.

The players were taken by surprise with the news breaking last week just before the preseason was about to be in full swing.

"I guess I feel like everybody else. Just a lot to process," All-Star forward Jayson Tatum said via NBC Sports Boston, adding that he hasn’t spoken with Udoka. "Unexpected, especially coming into this season you feel a certain way coming off last year. You’re excited, trying to do all these things and just a lot if I’m being honest. I guess along with everybody else just still trying to process it all knowing that we have practice tomorrow."

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Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka, center, talks to Derrick White (9) during Game 2 of the NBA Finals at Chase Center in San Francisco on June 5, 2022. (Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

Guard Marcus Smart added: "The initial reaction was literally a state of shock. We couldn’t believe what we were hearing. … It’s hitting us from all angles, and we’re just trying to figure it out just like everybody else. Everybody was in attendance to the meeting. We wanted to know. They told us what they knew, and it took off from there.

Smart believes that the Celtics handled the situation "the right way," as Udoka was suspended for the entire 2022-2023 season and an evaluation is currently going on to determine what to do after that.

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