Ex-NBA star Matt Barnes claims Udoka scandal is ‘100 times uglier’ than thought

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Ex-NBA baller Matt Barnes claims the scandal surrounding suspended Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka is much, much worse than originally thought.

Appearing on an episode of YouTube’s Vlad TV, Barnes — who had a 14-season NBA career and last played for the Golden State Warriors in 2017 — said the scandal was “100 times uglier” than he initially thought.

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When it comes to inappropriate relationships within the NBA, he said he’s seen it from “owners to the dancers, and everything in between,” implying that it’s commonplace in professional sports. He also said no one claims to be perfect.

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In the case of Udoka, Barnes said he’s “heard it’s not about what he did, it’s about who he did it” with, noting “that is really going to kind of flip the game upside down when it comes to this instance.”

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“This is not something that’s only the NBA. This happens in the workplace all around. But like I said, it’s not so much the act,” Barnes said.

The Celtics suspended Udoka for the upcoming season for multiple violations of team policies after he allegedly had an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. TMZ previously reported Udoka’s affair was with a female member of the Celtics’ travel logistics team.

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According to a report by The Athletic, Udoka also allegedly made “unwanted comments” towards a woman with whom he had an affair, revealed by an investigation by the Celtics.

NBC Sports Boston reporter Amanda Pflugrad also came out to condemn the “humiliation” women staff with the team faced on social media as a result of the scandal, stating people shared “innocent people’s names in our organization, and their personal photos, and put them out there for speculation.”