Sports media is unequipped to handle the Ime Udoka workplace scandal

This is a column by Morgan Campbell, who writes opinion for CBC Sports. For more information about CBC's Opinion section, please see the FAQ.

We knew Jayson Tatum would field some heavy questions at Boston Celtics media day this week. He's the best player on last season's NBA Finals runner-up, set to lead the team into an uncertain season.

The Celtics' once-bright outlook has grown hazy following the news that the club had suspended its head coach, Ime Udoka, for the upcoming season for his role in a workplace sex scandal.

If Tatum, a three-time all-star, wasn't privy to inside information on Udoka's alleged indiscretions, he at least figured to have known before we did. If nobody at the Celtics gave him a heads-up, how did the MVP of last season's Eastern Conference Final learn that Udoka wouldn't coach the team this year?

"Sh-t," Tatum said at media day. "On Twitter, like everybody else."

If you logged on sports Twitter, or caught a debate show late last week, then you probably consumed some of the many, many, many bold, bad takes this situation has generated. All a normal part of the sports news and opinion cycle, except that for all the talk on TV and bickering on Twitter, we still have less than a handful of facts.

Thanks to gossip sites and some well-placed anonymous sources, we have an idea about what's been happening, but in terms of verified facts we still don't know much.

The other clear truth that has emerged since this news broke?

That neither the Celtics, nor a sports media that depends on scoops, speculation and strong opinions, are equipped to handle a scandal like this one.

This story started as most big NBA news does — with a tweet from ESPN basketball insider Adrian Wojnarowski.

"Boston Celtics coach