The moment Boston handed him his year-long suspension, it was obvious that his time with the team was over so this should surprise nobody. The offer was rescinded. With so little publicly known about why he was sent away in the first place, its difficult for fans, and even those who have known him, to make sense of the situation. I remember it being a really hard decision, and were sitting there talking for hours about it, Mike Moser, who came to know Udoka through his A.A.U. Joe Mazzulla, 34, one of Udokas assistant coaches, will be the interim head coach this season. Among the candidates being considered for the Hawks' coaching vacancy, league sources say, is former Celtics coach Ime Udoka. These, of course, are minor quibbles. Ime Udoka previously coached for the Spurs, Nets, and 76ers before landing the head coaching job with the Celtics. He wasnt spectacularly athletic or anything like that, but he always knew how to play the game, and he knew that his mind for the game needed to supersede having athletic ability.. Its always been that way.. When is Steph Curry returning to Golden State Warriors? Without specific details, its really impossible for us to judge how the Celtics have handled the scandal from start to finish. And that was really with everything he had.. Now its unclear whether Udoka will return to the team. Receive the latest news and breaking updates, straight from our newsroom to your inbox. Do the sources know the information? Anyone can read what you share. Udokas basketball career started at Utah State University Eastern, where Udoka recorded the first triple-double in school history. The Celtics have not lost a step in his absence, ranking first in the league this year with a 42-17 record. He started 75 games for the Trail Blazers and knew he would not be returning to the minor leagues any time soon. team, said in an interview last season. He [Udoka] exudes a confidence and a comfort in his own skin where people just gravitate to him, Popovich told ESPNs Kevin Arnovitz in 2015. And the name that kept coming up from everybody you talk to, Stevens said, was Imes.. But two days later Popovich called and said that team doctors had noticed the cartilage missing from Udokas surgically repaired knee. Udoka was an assistant for one season under Nash in 2020-21 before becoming the Celtics' coach and leading them to the NBA Finals last season. He held various jobs as a laborer and often faced discrimination and racism. Udoka suspended by C's for 2022-23, apologizes, NBA Power Rankings: Kevin Durant's return could rock the West, V. Bryant settles crash photos suit for $28.85M, Sources: Lakers to reassess LeBron in 2 weeks, Irving: Need to scale back self-imposed pressure, Jokic sixth player in 100 career triple-double club, Driven Giannis 'OK' if people take him for granted, Durant to debut for Suns on Wed. vs. Hornets, Pels say injured Zion progressing, set for imaging, What NBA Finals runs from LeBron, Giannis can teach Jayson Tatum, Meet the man scouring Nigeria for the next generation of NBA and NFL talent, Roundtable: Early takeaways from Kyrie Irving joining Luka Doncic in Dallas, Sources: Udoka likely facing season-long ban, Supplemental Privacy Policy for Singapore. Defense has always been a priority for Udoka, and wasted no time converting the Celtics into the top rated defensive team in the league this season. Now that he is a head coach, he wants to become one of the best there ever was. Udoka spent seven seasons as an assistant in San Antonio. The Celtics introduced Ime Udoka as the team's new head coach at a press conference on June 28, 2021. He put in the time here and then saw other guys go and get jobs. Udoka spent the next four seasons with the San Antonio Spurs and the Sacramento Kings. He was really like a coach on the court, Webster said. June 28, 2021. He never made a bunch of money as a player and had injuries cut his career short. I knew that if I had one more injury, itd all be over. Now that the team has presumably come to final terms with their former head coach, Udoka is officially on the market. Solid two way players. "I am beyond proud of this [Udoka] exudes a confidence and a comfort in his own skin where people just gravitate to him, Popovich said. Jayson Tatum, Marcus Smart, and Jaylen Brown were all a part of that squad and were impressed working under Udoka. Its inspiring to see more players, coaches and personnel, born in Africa or with direct ties to the continent, receive opportunities across the league. When Udoka walked back into the living room at his Brooklyn home, his family knew what had happened just from his smile. After two seasons, Udoka transferred to the University of San Francisco, spending one season with the Dons before finishing his collegiate career at Portland State. Do assistants normally leave mid season for head coaching jobs else where ? 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. 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. In my head Im watching like, [Expletive], of course Superman came back this quick. . When Udoka played for Portland State, he often made strategy suggestions to the coaching staff. 1:32. Udoka did not play in the preseason opener. Isnt Udoka just another hard ass that Trae will tune out? Who took graveyard shifts loading trailers for FedEx just so it wouldnt disrupt his training sessions. The youngest of three siblings, Udoka grew up in Portland, Ore., where financial hardship was a way of life for his family. Pop is going to step down and Quinn will be his replacement. Udoka joined the Celtics after stints as an assistant coach with the Spurs, 76ers, and Nets, as well as an NBA playing career. Joe Mazzulla, one of Udokas assistants, will be the teams interim coach this season. He had no health insurance, but this second procedure was paid for by Willie Stoudamire, who ran the midnight basketball session where Udoka had spent so much of his childhood, and who was the father of former NBA standout and current Celtics assistant Damon Stoudamire. The Boston Celtics have suspended head coach Ime Udoka for the 2022-23 season for violating team conduct policies. The team said he could return to basketball activities in eight to 12 weeks. level. coach in the Portland area with Memory and another childhood friend, Kendrick Williams. What did the Suns Kevin Durant say about his coming debut? One day he was visiting with the Spurs staff there when Popovich pulled him aside. They briefly lived in a motel after being evicted from their home before Ime was born. The suspension is effective immediately, and a decision about Udoka's future with the organization will be made later, the team said. Now, in his first full season in charge of a team, there are things that Mazzulla could improve. Id be somewhere between surprised and shocked if Snyder goes to ATL. Udokas influence in basketball goes far beyond the Celtics, and even beyond the N.B.A. Related: What happens now that Ime Udoka has been suspended for the season but not fired? Popovich said he knew most of Udokas backstory, but very little of it had been, Still, he remains relentlessly determined to, Dan Shaughnessy: Danny Ainge says he wasnt pushed out by the Celtics when he retired, and other picked-up pieces from the sports world. And coaching him you knew that he would one day be on the sidelines coaching. Udoka joined Steve Nash and the Nets last offseason and helped coach Brooklyns star-studded squad. Youd respect his opinions, because he didnt have a thousand of them., Gregg Popovich on coaching with Ime Udoka, And Ime just hopped on the plane and was like, Ill fly with you, Aldridge said. A person briefed on the matter who was not authorized to speak publicly about it said Udoka had an inappropriate relationship with a female team employee. New Celtics head coach Ime Udokas path from Nigeria to Boston. Im going to coach. And I remember being so surprised. Michael Scotto: I spoke with four NBA executives this week about the Ime Udoka situation in Boston. After the Sixers were eliminated from last seasons bubble playoffs, Brown was fired and Udoka joined Nashs Nets in October. Enjoy live and on-demand online sports on DAZN. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. Brett Brown told Stevens that Udoka was the kind of coach players would truly want to win for. One imagines that we will see him coaching in this league again. Now you can watch the entire NBA season or your favorite teams on streaming. Udoka eventually took the deal anyway and realized he would have to prove himself once more. Aldridge inked a four-year $80 million deal with the Spurs later that summer. This is the way with Ime Udoka. When Udoka called Popovich later, the Hall of Fame coach started crying. I thought he just wanted to go back to Texas, but he was like, Nah, I got on so if you had any questions, I could answer them. . What are your hobbies outside of basketball?. Udoka was taken aback. Not only the experience of playing but being eight through 15 on the roster a lot, and then being in San Antonio all those years, and then the last two years seeing totally different things up close in Philly and Brooklyn is a great thing. Atlanta is finesse and shooting and their power positions like Collins and capella are hardly grunts and grinders. After a quick coaching search the Celtics came to an agreement with the former a quickly he began injecting his DNA into the side. Ime Udokas impact in Boston has been immediate as the rookie head coach has taken the Celtics somewhere they havent been since the days of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. He was paid $200 a game, and the team traveled by bus and stayed in cheap motels. Vitalis and his wife, Agnes, who was from Illinois, tried to shield their children James, Mfon, and Ime, the youngest from the familys financial hardships, but it was not easy. The law firm relayed its findings to the team on Wednesday, Grousbeck said. Popovich said he knew most of Udokas backstory, but very little of it had been revealed by Udoka himself. Udoka is engaged to actress Nia Long, who played 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. WebIme Udoka Position: - Born: 08/09/77 Height: 6-6 / 1.98 Weight:218 lbs. 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. Udoka, center, coached the Celtics to the Eastern Conferences second-best record last season after they struggled for several months. He would go to midnight sessions at the local Salvation Army gym and take buses around the city in search of pickup games. Interim head coach Joe Prunty will lead the team when it resumes its season on Friday. The Spurs were still interested, just at a steep discount: two years, $2.5 million. I mean, Ime caught the guy in mid-air with a fist and calmly continued his dispatching of oncoming people.. Gregg Popovich saw Udoka's potential as a coach long before Udoka did. The Celtics have said only that they were suspending Udoka for the 2022-23 season for unspecified violations of team policies. According to two people with knowledge of the situation who were not authorized to discuss it publicly, Udoka had a relationship with a female subordinate. This is really conscience and gut feel.. When is Steph Curry returning to Golden State Warriors? The 45-year-old Udoka led the Celtics to the NBA Finals in his first year as a head coach last year, losing in six games to the Golden State Warriors. A variety of voices weighed in on Udoka after the news broke, and opinions were overwhelmingly positive. Then Kobe walks in after a few days, raises his arm above his head, and goes, Im good, Udoka said. The season-long suspension is largely unprecedented for a sitting head coach in the NBA. On Nov. 7, 2011, Long gave birth to their son, Kez, but the joy from that moment was fleeting. Udoka joined the Celtics last summer after spending time with the San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets as an assistant coach following his NBA playing career. Have they proved reliable in the past? Kumbeno Memory, one of Udokas closest friends, said in an interview last season that Udoka told him about the conversation with Thomas. draft after college and joined the Fargo-Moorhead Beez, a minor league team in North Dakota. 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. A few weeks into the season, he hurt his knee again. Danilo Gallinari, a veteran forward who signed with the Celtics this summer and figured to create space with his perimeter shooting, could miss the entire season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while playing for Italys national team last month. Whats their motivation for telling us? In 2006-07, after he was released by the Knicks, he landed with his hometown Blazers and made the final roster. After Brooklyns Game 7 loss, Stevens, Grousbeck, Pagliuca, and vice president of player development Allison Feaster met with Udoka for several hours at Pagliucas Manhattan offices, and Bostons brass was rapt. Popovichs pitch was more direct. But he said he was being mistreated. 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 In the summer of 2014, forward LaMarcus Aldridge, a prize of the free agent market, met with the Spurs and several other teams in Los Angeles. There are certain people you run across in life where you could expect this to happen, said Nesland, Udokas college teammate. Ime Udoka has been an assistant coach in the NBA since 2012. pic.twitter.com/smW58uJ0UW. Udoka parted ways with the Celtics last week after the organization removed the interim tag from Joe Mazzulla, according to Brian Robb of MassLive. Some who have known him are struggling to make sense of the situation. Per Stadiums Jeff Goodman, all three players liked and respected Udoka. "I am sorry for putting the team in this difficult situation, and I accept the team's decision. He joins Bill Russell, K.C. Still, Udoka did not want to get his hopes up. He spent two productive years with the Spurs, then played for the Kings for one season before returning to San Antonio, where he spent half a season before being released. For me, he said, theres nothing else.. Youd respect his opinions because he didnt have a thousand of them.. What we consider before using anonymous sources. Udoka has now achieved the biggest goal left on his list, but that list is ever changing. By 2012, Udoka was out of the N.B.A. In 2007, Muoneke described a fightthat broke out after a game at the African Championships in Algiers. And though several players have supported him while expressing uncertainty about what led to his punishment, the teams ownership has been less reassuring. Share. Last week, Boston promoted interim head coach Joe Mazzulla to the permanent position, ending Udoka's time with the organization. Ime Udoka (center) and his mom Agnes holding sister Mfon, dad Vitalis, and brother James (far right) in an undated family photo. Maybe its a moot point going forward. The other candidates would all be first time HCs, which is where I see ATL needing to go. February 22, 2023 9:39 pm ET. Can we corroborate the information? All Mazzulla has done since the out-of-nowhere Ime Udoka suspension was face overwhelming expectations and quietly meet them with barely any public controversy. As they walked off the plane afterward, Aldridge turned to Udoka and told him he was coming to San Antonio. Ime would record other games on network television and watch them on a loop before dribbling to his middle school to practice the moves he had just seen. and playing in Europe again. players have remained loyal to him, and vice versa. Udoka was also great with the self absorbed cry babies like Tatum. In the 2021 offseason, Udoka took over as the Celtics head coach, after working nine years as an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Nets. Udokas suspension will be unpaid. 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