Even after suspending Ime Udoka for the entire 2022-23 campaign, it looks like the Boston Celtics will see the embattled head coach on the court this season after all.
Reports surfaced Tuesday that Udoka is on the verge of taking over as the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets after the organization and former head coach Steve Nash parted ways that same day. The Celtics seem so eager to put the Udoka scandal behind them that they don’t mind him leaving — and reportedly doing so without any compensation in return — to join a division rival.
But while Boston tries to move on from the turmoil Udoka caused just prior to the start of the season, they won’t be able to outrun it completely, especially with the Celtics and Nets still scheduled to meet four times this season.
Those games have now become appointment viewing as every step, every word and every interaction Udoka has with members of the Celtics during those contests will be scrutinized. Here are when the Celtics and Nets play each other, which in increasing likelihood will feature Udoka on the opposing sideline:
Dec. 4 at Brooklyn
Jan. 12 at Brooklyn
Feb. 1 at Boston
Mar. 3 at Boston
Udoka facing the team he had a very unceremonious exit from will certainly create much fanfare and storylines. It also opens up the opportunity for Udoka to put a blemish or two on the Celtics’ record.
Whenever the hiring does become official, Udoka will have his work cut out for him, though. He takes over a 2-5 Nets club that found themselves in controversy before trying to obtain Udoka due to the complete mess of a situation polarizing star guard Kyrie Irving put himself in.
Having both Irving — a true Celtics villain — and Udoka make their way to Boston on the first day of February would electrify a normally mundane game that comes in the middle of the grind of the regular season.
But those four meetings could just be whetting the appetite for a possible seven-game series in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
