Matt Barnes primarily slammed Ime Udoka's suspension, but he changed his opinion when the former NBAer learned all the facts, which say it's '100 times uglier than any of us thought.'
Ime Udoka's scandal shook up the basketball world and former NBAer Matt Barnes believes it's an even bigger bombshell than currently known.
The Boston Celtics have suspended Udoka, who led the team to the NBA Finals in his first year as head coach, for at least the full 2022-23 season.
The punishment is a result of an intimate relationship with a female member of the organization, which was first believed to be consensual. According to The Athletic, Udoka was later accused of making unwanted comments toward the woman, which led to the launch of the investigation by the franchise.
Matt Barnes
| Position: | SF |
| Age: | 42 |
| Height: | 201 cm |
| Weight: | 103 kg |
| Birth place: | Santa Clara, United States of America |
Barnes, who initially had a post on social media protecting Udoka, drastically changed his view after he learned inside information from sources close to the organization.
"Since I'm a part of the media now and I try not to be like everyone else — I try to report and talk with facts and honesty and I clearly have to say, without knowing all the facts, I spoke in Ime Udoka's defense," Barnes said in a video posted on his Instagram account.
"And, after finding out the facts, I erased what I posted because this situation in Boston is deep, messy, and 100 times uglier than any of us thought. Some things happened I can't condone. It's not my place to tell you what happened," added the NBA champ (2017), who now co-hosts the All the Smoke podcast with Stephen Jackson.
The 42-year-old Barnes originally slammed the suspension on Thursday. He had previously said it was a terrible decision for Udoka to be suspended for the year.
