Celtics Coach Ime Udoka Does All He Can to Protect Himself and His Players
Published May 25 2022, 4:54 p.m. ET
Since knocking out the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round of the playoffs, the Boston Celtics have had their work cut out for them against the Miami Heat in the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals.
The series is currently tied 2-2, with the highly-anticipated Game 5 taking place at FTX Arena on Wednesday, May 25.
Ahead of Game 5, Celtics and Heat fans are gearing up to cheer on their team. However, many NBA fans can't help but wonder why Celtics head coach, Ime Udoka, wears a face mask the way he does. Keep reading for all the details!
Why does Ime Udoka wear a face mask?
Throughout the Celtics 2022 playoff run thus far, fans of the team have turned to social media to share their thoughts on Ime Udoka's face mask, which he often wears underneath his chin.
"Ime Udoka pulls his mask down so often I don't know why he bothers to even wear it," one person wrote on Twitter.
Another added, "Ime Udoka is always the only person in the building wearing a mask, and he’s always wearing it on his neck. Make it make sense." A third fan said, "Ime Udoka doesn’t know whether he wants to keep his mask on or off lmao."
Obviously, the main reason for Ime wearing a face mask is because of COVID-19.
The virus is still spreading in the NBA, especially within the Celtics organization. Throughout the entire season, COVID has been a frequent issue for the Celtics and even made a comeback in the playoffs when star center Al Horford entered the league's COVID-19 health and safety protocols and missed Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. He tested negative twice and returned for Game 2.
In January 2022, Ime acknowledged the world's current state and stated that, as a coach, he must protect himself and his players, and he does that by wearing a mask.
"The one thing I have done is worn my mask when I’m sitting down as much as I can and just consciously remember that," he said via NESN. "It’s nothing that you’re going out of your way, but you do have to be safe and be smart any chance that you can."