You never want to say never in this industry.
Urban Meyer still has a high-paying job at Fox Sports, and I can point out numerous situations where people who down far more egregious things than being horny and still having jobs.
Brett Favre immediately comes to mind.
With that being said, according to Ethan Strauss, people in NBA circles think Udoka is done for.
As you may know, the Boston Celtics have suspended head coach Ime Udoka for the season, with zero indication that they want him back, post-punishment. The precipitating offense is a s*xual relationship with a staffer who happens to be lower on the org chart. A highly relevant twist in the case was reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic on Thursday evening:
Some members of the Celtics organization first became aware of the relationship in July, sources said. At that time, team leadership was led to believe by both parties that the relationship was consensual. But sources said that the woman recently accused Udoka of making unwanted comments toward her — leading the team to launch a set of internal interviews.
Given that report, and everything else said in private, an agent friend of mine delivered a verdict on Ime Udoka’s NBA head coaching prospects: “He’s done.”
My guy’s not the only one saying it. This is how many NBA insiders now see the situation, and have seen it since Thursday, really. While nobody can completely predict the future, it is a widespread interpretation of present events.
Strauss goes on to speak on how ESPN is watering down the story, but that is to be expected from them.
We know from my reporting (see video below) and a report from TMZ that Udoka was doing a lot more than just having one consensual affair in the office.
The Celtics employee with whom Ime Udoka had an affair helped make all his travel arrangements … and that job sometimes included organizing travel for his fiancee, Nia Long.
Sources connected to the couple and the NBA franchise tell TMZ … one of the staffer’s duties included planning Udoka’s team-related travel, and we’re told she was also involved in booking travel for Nia to come to Boston or to road games.
Perhaps most upsetting for Nia is that the employee had a hand in Nia’s arrangements to move to Boston permanently, according to our sources.
TMZ broke the story … Nia had just moved east a little over 2 weeks ago with Key, her 10-year-old son with Ime.
The Celtics are not releasing the name of the employee, but we’re told Nia has been told who she is.
Do you think Udoka’s coaching career is over, or will one of his former mentors throw him a lifeline?
While you ponder there, here are some lovely photos of Nia Long.