Ime Udoka (center) and his mom Agnes holding sister Mfon, dad Vitalis, and brother James (far right) in an undated family photo. Ime Udoka is the new head coach of the Boston Celtics, but he's still not the most famous member of the family. Over the past few years he had interviewed for head coaching jobs with the Hornets, Magic, Raptors, Pistons, and Cavaliers, and he hadnt gotten any of them. The actress Nia Long, with whom Udoka has a young son, asked for privacy in a statement to TMZ. Related: Celtics to hire Nets assistant Ime Udoka as head coach It was no shock Stevens and the 43-year-old Udoka bonded during the interview process. Udoka has close relationships with many of the players. In his first season as coach, Udoka oversaw a remarkable turnaround in Boston, one that saw the Celtics go from being under .500 in late January to closing the season with a 28-7 record over their final 35 games. Udoka went to Spain after his mothers death and played well, and in the summer of 2012 he returned to the United States to support Jones and Ross, who were playing in the NBAs Las Vegas summer league. In 2006-07, after he was released by the Knicks, he landed with his hometown Blazers and made the final roster. Im going to interview some people, but I already know who you are. By Martenzie Johnson @10zJohnson. Grousbeck cited privacy reasons in declining to elaborate on the nature of Udokas misconduct. The Boston Celtics have suspended coach Ime Udoka for the 2022-23 season, the team announced Thursday night. Stevens moved upstairs to be Boston's president of basketball operations after his predecessor in that job, Danny Ainge, chose to leave the organization. Nia Long said her 11-year-old son, Kez, is having a "really tough time" after his dad, former Celtics coach Ime Udoka, cheated on the actress, resulting in a breakup. pic.twitter.com/smW58uJ0UW. He was paid $200 a game, and the team traveled by bus and stayed in cheap motels. Among the candidates being considered for the Hawks' coaching vacancy, league sources say, is former Celtics coach Ime Udoka. Maddie Meyer/Getty Images By He developed a reputation for tenacity and a strong work ethic. Great point. We didnt go on family vacations. Ime was incredibly driven to excel at basketball, said Derek Nesland, one of Udokas teammates at Portland State. It was a rough start to his rookie season as the Celtics were the 9 seed and had a losing record at the end of 2021. Who returned to practice with the Portland Trail Blazers the day after his fathers sudden death. Ime Udoka is still searching for a new job after his unceremonious departure from the Boston Celtics. Its hard being a Black person in America, and a foreigner at the same time.. He made his debut after signing a 10-day contract with the Lakers when Kobe Bryant injured his shoulder in January 2004. Third on this list at +300 is none other than former Celtics head coach Ime Udoka. The Atlanta Hawk are considering Ime Udoka for their head coaching vacancy, sources tell Marc Stein of Substack. Udoka was taken aback. Murray and Hunter are grunts. Then co-owner Wyc Grousbeck asked a simple question that left Udoka stumped. Jayson Tatum, Marcus Smart, and Jaylen Brown were all a part of that squad and were impressed working under Udoka. In his one season with the Celtics, Udoka had a record of 51-31 in the regular season and 14-10 in the playoffs while making an NBA Finals appearance. I knew that if I had one more injury, itd all be over. What did the Suns Kevin Durant say about his coming debut? I went to practice the following day and everybody was looking at me like, Why are you here? Udoka said. He joins Bill Russell, K.C. Despite his personal struggles, Udoka never wanted people to feel sorry for him. The 43-year-old is the 18th coach, and sixth Black coach, in the franchises illustrious history. Udoka earned the respect of many of the Celtics players before joining forces at TD Garden when he was an assistant with the US National team in 2019. What we consider before using anonymous sources. The following year, San Antonio offered Udoka a three-year, $9 million contract. On Friday, Wyc Grousbeck, the Celtics majority owner, and Brad Stevens, their president of basketball operations, spoke publicly for the first time since the team announced late Thursday that it had suspended Coach Ime Udoka for the 2022-23 season for unspecified violations of team policies.. And coaching him you knew that he would one day be on the sidelines coaching. He had surprising success in his first season, leading a team of rising young stars to the N.B.A. Udoka has made millions of dollars over his career as a player and coach. Do assistants normally leave mid season for head coaching jobs else where ? Solid two way players. Whats their motivation for telling us? Mazzulla had been serving as interim head coach since Boston suspended Ime Udoka for the 2022-23 season in September. [Udoka] exudes a confidence and a comfort in his own skin where people just gravitate to him, Popovich said. So who is Udoka? We didnt go on family vacations. Udoka was later suspended from his position as coach, with a follow-up statement from the Celtics noting, The Boston Celtics announced today that the team By Staff and wire reports Published June 28, 2021 Updated on June 28, 2021 at 10:48 am. By Jared Weiss. Anyone can read what you share. June 28, 2021. Last June, a small but powerful Celtics contingent flew to New York to interview Nets assistant Ime Udoka for Bostons head coaching vacancy. It is unknown whether these players feel the same about him now, but Udoka is surely apologetic about his actions. The Spurs were still interested, just at a steep discount: two years, $2.5 million. After leaving Portland State, Udoka created an endowment for an annual scholarship given to both a business student and a basketball player in honor of his father. [ On Nov. 9, the Nets announced Jacque Vaughn Udokas suspension comes as the N.B.A. Udoka spent the next four seasons with the San Antonio Spurs and the Sacramento Kings. Team officials learned during the summer that there was a situation, Grousbeck said, which led them to retain a law firm to investigate Udokas conduct. June 28, 2021. But in 2015, Gregg Popovich offered perhaps the strongest endorsement. And we all wanted to see him succeed.. I told Brad that if hes looking for a partner, a team player, a guy that has knowledge and gets along with people, and players respect the hell out of, Popovich said, hes your guy.. The reporter and at least one editor know the identity of the source. He was initially hired by the San Antonio Spurs in 2012 and spent seven years coaching under Gregg Popovich before he was poached by the Philadelphia 76ers prior to the 2019-20 season. And that was very telling to me, Popovich said. Udoka was set to be hired by the Nets after their firing of Steve Nash early in the season, but Brooklyn ownership changed course mostly due to the bad PR they were getting. He held various jobs as a laborer and often faced discrimination and racism. He and his sister should come quickly. When he was a small child and Agnes woke up early to work at a bakery, he would follow her outside sobbing because he did not want her to leave. Over the next few years he toiled on the fringes of the NBA. Log in Register, Ime Udoka Among Candidates For Hawks Coaching Vacancy, Raptors Sign Will Barton, Waive Juancho Hernangomez, Kevin Durant On Track For Suns Debut On Wednesday, Knicks Sign Duane Washington To Two-Way Deal, LeBron James Expected To Be Out Multiple Weeks, LaMelo Ball Fractures Right Ankle, Out For Season, Willie Cauley-Stein Signs 10-Day Deal With Rockets, Trade Breakdown: Lakers/Jazz/Wolves Three-Team Blockbuster, Southwest Notes: Pelicans, Williams, Spurs, Sengun, Atlantic Notes: Barton, Simmons, Dinwiddie, Tatum, Pelicans Jose Alvarado, Larry Nance Jr. Out Multiple Weeks, Central Notes: Bulls, Cavaliers, Mitchell, Bucks, Northwest Notes: Towns, Sexton, Clarkson, Jokic, SGA, Players Eligible For Veteran Extensions 2022/23, Rookie Scale Option Decisions For 2023/24. 1:32. Magic at Amway Center on January 23, 2023 in Orlando, Florida. Doubt it. Stein notes that Atlanta officials have only acknowledged former Jazz coach Quin Snyder as a candidate, but adds that hes heard Bucks assistant Charles Lee mentioned frequently among his sources. He never made a bunch of money as a player and had injuries cut his career short. Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla alongside Jayson Tatum during a game against the Orlando [+] Magic at Amway Center on January 23, 2023 in Orlando, Florida. Interim head coach Joe Prunty will lead the team when it resumes its season on Friday. The following year, after president of basketball operations Isiah Thomas had taken over as the teams coach, he summoned Udoka outside the Wynn Casino during the Las Vegas summer league. What are your hobbies outside of basketball?. And he was like, I know Im being a good mentor to some of the younger guys, but am I really cut out to be a coach? Memory said. But rules are rules, and when you sign a contract and youre on salary, youre saying that you agree to the rules.. Joe Mazzulla, 34, one of Udokas assistant coaches, will be the interim head coach this season. Wyc Grousbeck, the Celtics majority owner, said the team had not decided if or under what circumstances Udoka would be welcomed back. A few weeks into the season, he hurt his knee again. He was about to turn 35 and wondering whether he wanted to go back overseas for another season. Udokas basketball career started at Utah State University Eastern, where Udoka recorded the first triple-double in school history. Milwaukee Bucks 118 vs 104 Brooklyn Nets summary: stats and highlights | NBA. Its his authenticity, his ability to be tough and yet very warm, and its his experience, said Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens. He only knew one way to play. And Robert Williams, the teams starting center, underwent arthroscopic surgery this week to remove loose bodies and address swelling in his left knee. finals last season in his first year in the role. A variety of voices weighed in on Udoka after the news broke, and opinions were overwhelmingly positive. To the Celtics credit, they never did. The Hawks recently parted ways with head coach Nate McMillan after a series of moves to improve the roster around point guard Heres a closer look at the Celtics 18th head coach in franchise history. The Boston Celtics held a press conference Monday to introduce their new head coach, Ime Udoka. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, former Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka is among those being considered for the position. Nov 1, 2022. Theres nothing wrong with that. Theres not a day I can remember when I didnt play basketball, unless I was sick, Ime said. As fans have come to expect, Mazzulla wasnt phased at all by the change in circumstances. His point of coming to America was for college, Udoka told FIBA Basketballs websitein 2007. I dont look at it as a negative thing to say youre a basketball lifer, Udoka said. Aldridge inked a four-year $80 million deal with the Spurs later that summer. There are certain people you run across in life where you could expect this to happen, said Nesland, Udokas college teammate. He never stopped. said Bobby Harris, his former Jefferson High coach. It was just basketball.. Udoka also had one-season stints with the Philadelphia 76ers and the Nets before the Celtics hired him in June 2021 to his first head coaching job. He hopscotched around as a college player, enrolling at Eastern Utah junior college and the University of San Francisco before he spent his final two seasons at Portland State, where he was known for his stout defense before a knee injury ended his senior year. 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