BOSTON — After the Boston Celtics launched an investigation into their head coach and before he was suspended for the 2022-23 NBA season as a result of their findings, Ime Udoka met with reigning Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart and "a couple" of his teammates in Los Angeles to discuss their championship pursuit.
"That's why it seems so off guard to us," Smart said, "because everything seemed so normal."
No NBA coach has ever been expelled so abruptly before a season that carried such high expectations, and we have no idea how Celtics players will respond to the sudden change at the top of their coaching staff.