Celtics’ Marcus Smart says ‘it’s been hell’ for team amid name scandal

Marcus Smart was candid about the current “hell” he and the rest of the Boston Celtics have been going through over the past week.

Days after the Celtics fired their head coach Udok’s name for violating team rules, the 28-year-old guard spoke to reporters during media day about how the team handled it after learning of its coach’s suspension on social media.

“It was hell for us,” said Marcus, translated Athletic reporter Jared Weiss September 26. “It happened at a time when we didn’t have time to figure it all out before Media Day … we just found out, like you, so we’re doing our best to cope.”

While the team is going through tough times right now, Marcus said they’re just trying to get by as they begin camp this week.

“No one died, so we didn’t lose anything,” said the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. “I still love Ime as a person and as a coach. It’s just something unfortunate that happened to him. That doesn’t take anything away from him as a coach, the way he turned this team around.”