Polarizing former Boston Celtics player flames Ime Udoka in tweet

Polarizing former Boston Celtics big man Enes Freedom, FKA Enes Kanter, flamed suspended head coach Ime Udoka in a tweet on September 22. Freedom shared a ClutchPoints article that featured a quote from Udoka denying that his benching had anything to do with the Turkish big man’s political comments aimed at the NBA’s biggest international partner, China.

At the time, Udoka said that the team was ‘switching a lot and doing some things that probably are not as natural for him and that’s limited his time to some extent,’ while assuring everyone that ‘nothing basketball related will be based on social media.’

Freedom’s tweet, armed with passive-aggressive shots at the Boston Celtics head coach, was pointed and featured finger-pointing at Udoka for how the big man’s benching was handled last November:

"“No need for revenge. Just sit back and wait. Those who hurt you will eventually screw up themselves and if you’re lucky, God will let you watch.”"

Why was Ime Udoka suspended from the Boston Celtics?

Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka is facing a season-long suspension for a consensual relationship he had with a female member of the organization’s staff. Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the relationship is considered a violation of the organization’s guidelines. Cs assistant coach Joe Mazzulla is likely to take over head coaching duties on an interim basis.

Udoka is–though perhaps soon the best description will be ‘was’–engaged with actress Nia Long. The two had been together for several years but Long had an aversion to being married. Here’s what she told Essence in 2020 about marriage:

"“Love is complicated, let’s just start there. And then you start a marriage, which I’ve never been married. And there’s a reason for that because I don’t know that I need to say ‘I do’ to prove to you that I love you. But also, what does marriage really [mean]… that you own me now and I own you? I don’t get that part.”"

Evidently, the two were far apart value-wise. Udoka likely made this a bigger issue than it would have been otherwise by getting involved with a female member of the Boston Celtics organization.