“The team honestly is stronger than any one coach” — Kevin McHale explains why Ime Udoka's scandal did not crumble the Boston Celtics
Kevin McHale, Boston Celtics
© David Butler II and Kyle Terada - USA TODAY Sports
When former Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka was slapped with a significant suspension for having an improper relationship with a female member of the team staff over the summer, it was easy to assume that this could significantly be detrimental to the Celtics.
The same team who was literally just 2 games short of winning their 18th championship last season had to deal with an unprecedented off-court issue, no thanks to their coach who led them to the Finals in the first place. The biggest question for the Celtics heading into this season was whether they were strong enough to overcome such controversy — and so far, they've exceeded expectations and are withstanding it with flying colors.
No issue has overwhelmed Boston
Like many, Celtics legend Kevin McHale also admitted that he thought Udoka's suspension would significantly affect Boston. After all, how do players respond and not be bothered after finding out they will no longer be coached by the leader who helped them get to the Finals in the first place?
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McHale credits the Celtics' overall mental fortitude and believes that it depicts how mentally and physically strong this current team is — which is a sign of a true championship contender.
"I was like you, I was like 'Oh my goodness what a way to start the season. You get to the Finals, next thing you know the season's starting, the coach is out and you're like 'What the hell.' But this team is stronger than any one person. The team honestly is stronger than any one coach," McHale said in his last appearance on Sirus XM NBA Radio.
"But you don't win championships unless it's your team. Not my team. When it's your team and you take everything personally. You take practices personally, you take losses personally, and you take everything personally that happens because this is your team. And this is the Celtics team. Joe just happens to be there doing a tremendous job,"the Hall of Famer said.
The Celtics are cruising
It's only fitting that McHale gave Joe Mazzulla (who took over Udoka's head coaching seat) credit because he's done a stellar job so far. The Celtics are currently the best team in the league (17-4), and they're doing it with their offense (120.9 offensive rating), which ranks number 1 in the league. They lead the league in 3-pointers made a game (16.7). It also helps that Jayson Tatum is having an MVP campaign season averaging a career-high 30.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game.
Boston is by far the deepest team in the league because aside from Tatum, they also have Jaylen Brown, Malcolm Brogdon, Marcus Smart, Al Horford, Grant Williams, and the rest of the squad contributing on both ends of the floor. They could also be even better when they get Robert Williams back in the mix, who is currently recovering from a knee injury.
The fact that the Celtics are cruising despite the adversity they had to deal with in the summer shows that they're not going to let any controversy stop them, and they're still all in on exacting revenge. As McHale said, this current team has shown signs of what a true championship squad is all about.
