Matt Barnes Retracts Defense of Ime Udoka

Matt Barnes Retracts Defense of Ime Udoka and States ‘He’ll Be Lucky if he Coaches in the NBA Again’

Although it felt like the scandal surrounding the suspended Boston Celtics basketball coach, Ime Udoka would die until, at least the end of the upcoming season, it seems to actually be picking up steam. After initially defending Udoka, former NBA player, Matt Barnes has now retracted his defense of the man who is Nia Long’s boyfriend after being told personally more detailed information about the affair he took part in.

In another controversial conversation revolving around the Udoka situation, Barnes has insinuated that the suspended head coach has been penalized, not necessarily for what he has allegedly done, but, who he did it with.

Reports surfaced that Boston Celtics head coach Udoka had an intimate, but consensual, relationship with a female Celtics staffer, which is against team policy, he was suspended for the upcoming NBA season.

Barnes actually went on social media and expressed his regret for speaking on the situation without knowing all the facts and blindly defended Udoka. That post was deleted by the former NBA player. He then went back to explain why he erased the post defending the coach.

“Last night, without knowing all the facts, I spoke on Ime Udoka’s defense and after finding out 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. And, that’s why I erased what I said. Some things happened that I can’t condone, I can’t back, and it’s not my place to tell you what happened. If it ends up coming out, it ends up coming out. But that was the reason why I erased my post last night because after I posted it, I got a call from someone who ran all the details and s**t is deep. Praying for everybody involved, you know, I hope everyone gets through this.”

Matt Barnes on the situation with ime. He was told what happened and it sounds like it’s pretty bad. pic.twitter.com/PnMZzR2WsW

— Ant ☘️🏀 (@GangCeltics) September 23, 2022

Barnes also spoke to VLAD TV and also told the interviewer that if the whole truth is revealed publicly, he may never get the chance to coach in the NBA again.

“You know, if everything comes out, he’ll be lucky if he coaches in the NBA again, to be honest with you, it’s pretty heavy, man. It’s just some stuff you can’t do. Not judging, to each his own. I’ve made plenty of mistakes, but if everything comes out it could get extra hot in the kitchen for him.”

Earlier this week, another former NBA player, Shaquille O’Neal stated he would also stay out of commenting on Udoka’s personal affairs, albeit for a different reason.

On a recent episode of his weekly podcast, The Big Podcast with Shaq, O’Neal briefly spoke about why he feels he shouldn’t take a position and criticize Udoka, who had an intimate, but consensual, relationship with a female Celtics staffer, which is against team policy.

According to Sportskeeda, Shaq admitted to being a serial cheater himself. O’Neal had this to say regarding the Udoka reporting.

“I am going to step down from this conversation. I was a serial cheater. It would be crazy and blasphemous for me to get up here and say, ‘Boom, boom, bam.’ I can’t do that. I know these guys personally. I know they’re going through a lot because I went through a lot.

Matt Barnes Retracts Defense of Ime Udoka and States ‘He’ll Be Lucky if he Coaches in the NBA Again’