Ime Udoka, head coach of the Boston Celtics, has been placed on administrative leave by the team until the 2022–23 season.
The ban is effective right away and follows allegations that Udoka had a consenting intimate connection with a franchise employee.
Udoka apologised and said he accepted the team’s decision in a statement to ESPN.
Since previous Celtics head coach Brad Stevens stepped down from his position to take the helm of basketball operations, Udoka has guided the team for one season. He was in charge of the team’s Eastern Conference title and their unsuccessful NBA Finals run against the Golden State Warriors.

According to reports cited by ESPN, the Celtics have hired assistant coach Joe Mazzulla to serve as temporary head coach. Will Hardy, the team’s top assistant coach, resigned in June to become the Utah Jazz’s head coach.