If Matt Barnes says your actions are unacceptable, you’ve truly crossed the line.
When the news spread of Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka having a consensual intimate relationship with a female team employee, Barnes quickly came to Udoka’s defense on social media. The NBA baller turned ESPN analyst even slammed the decision to suspend the coach for a year. However, after learning all the facts of the situation, Barnes snatched back his support, admitting that he defended Udoka prematurely.
On Thursday, Barnes took to his Instagram to share a video explaining to his followers why he retracted his initial statements about Udoka.
“After finding out all the facts, after I spoke, I erased what I posted because this situation in Boston is deep. It’s messy. It’s 100 times uglier than any of us thought,” he explained, though Barnes would not elaborate further.
Since the scandal hit the internet, speculation about who Udoka might’ve slept with has run rampant. Shortly after it was revealed that he had an affair with a female staffer, which is against the franchise’s policy, Udoka was also accused of making unwanted comments toward the unidentified woman. Boston Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck confirmed that Udoka’s suspension resulted from a months-long investigation. President of basketball operations Brad Stevens was also tightlipped about the specific policies that Udoka broke.
Nia Long, who has been in a relationship with Udoka for at least ten years, broke her silence on the matter, thanking her supporters and requesting privacy for her family. Udoka also spoke up, apologizing to the Celtics and his family for “letting them down.”
