As the embattled coach of the Celtics continues to get skewed in the media, the identity of the individual who he was involved with remained a mystery, until today. The Daily Mail was the first to disclose the identity of the employee. The publication discovered the employee is the team service manager, Kathleen Nimmo Lynch, a married mother of three.
Lynch, described as a “devout Mormon,” has close ties to the Celtics executive director of basketball operations, Danny Ainge. Ainge helped Lynch to get the job because Lynch has been friends with Ainge and his family over about ten years. They came from the same hometown and Lynch attended BYU with Ainge’s daughter. Lynch was hired two years after graduating from BYU and worked under Ainge.
Ainge, also a devout Mormon was reportedly very upset by the affair. A source told the Daily Mail that Ainge learned about the affair earlier this summer and recused himself from the situation and hired an outside law firm to conduct the investigation.
The Celtics did not disclose this information during the investigation, but the name was leaked online. Her duties for the team included the following: she arranged travel, lodging and game tickets for the family members of the team players at home and on the road. Lynch most likely had even helped Udoka’s wife, Nia Long with travel arrangements.
There have been rumors that the affair was not consensual and that Lynch felt pressured to engage in a sexual relationship due Udoka’s position as head coach. However, a source close to the situation told the Daily Mail that that affair was consensual and short-lived.
The Celtics launched an investigation into the affair as soon as it was uncovered. Udoka was suspended for the 2022-2023 season. The investigation found multiple violations of team rules but the primary reason for the suspension was the power dynamic associated with an improper relationship. Lynch was not punished for the affair. There is no indication whether Udoka would be back as the head coach next year. The previous season he took the team all the way to the NBA finals.
NBA insider Michael Scotto reported he had spoken to four anonymous NBA executives who all agreed that Udoka would not be back to coach next year after the suspension is over. Jared Weiss said that he has spoken to people in the Celtic’s organization who all said that they did not feel like Udoka would be back next year.
Nia Long, Udoka’s wife, was kept in the dark about the affair for months. Long had just moved to Boston with their son, while the Celtics were investigating the affair. Udoka knew he was being investigated and still had his wife move to the city. Long’s rep told TMZ the following, “The outpouring of love and support from family, friends and the community during this difficult time means so much to me. I ask that my privacy be respected as I process the recent events. Above all, I am a mother and will continue to focus on my children.” There is still so much uncertainty surrounding the future of not only Udoka’s employment and the status of his marriage. There are a lot of rumors but as far as we can tell, he is to be without both in the very near future.
