Nets to Likely Hire Controversial Udoka as Head Coach
Less than 24 hours after parting ways with head coach Steve Nash, the Brooklyn Nets are moving quickly to find his successor. The Nets are closing to hiring suspended Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka as its head coach.
Suspended Celtics coach Ime Udoka has emerged as the likely next Brooklyn Nets head coach and his hiring could be finalized as soon as the next 24-to-48 hours, sources tell ESPN. Celtics will let him leave for another job.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 1, 2022
Jaquce Vaughn served as Nets interim coach for Tuesday night’s 108-99 loss to the Chicago Bulls.
Udoka comes with plenty of baggage. According to a report from ESPN, “Boston suspended Udoka for the 2022-23 season for an improper relationship with a subordinate before training camp, but sources say the Celtics never planned to stand in the way of Udoka accepting another coaching job.
“The independent law firm probe into Udoka found that he used crude language in his dialogue with a female subordinate before the start of an improper workplace relationship with the woman, an element that significantly factored into the severity of his suspension.”
The Nets have been conducting a vetting process around Udoka.
The news comes at a time of great public angst for the Nets who are dealing with the blowback from Kyrie Irving’s social media posts that allegedly promote a controversial movie full of antisemitic tropes. Protesters were seen at Barclays Center on Monday night wearing t-shirts that read “Fight antisemitism.”
Irving hasn’t spoken to the media since Saturday, nor has he issued an apology.
Many have called out the Nets and the NBA for not taking swift punishment to Irving for his posts.
The NBPA released a statement condemning antisemitism after Kyrie’s recent post promoting an antisemitic film pic.twitter.com/KamRjD6Hw1
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 1, 2022
