During his playing career, Ime Sunday Udoka has played for both the Nigerian national team and the NBA. After retiring from the NBA, he became the head coach of the Boston Celtics.
NBA career
During Ime Udoka’s NBA career, he played for a number of different teams, including the San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers, and Los Angeles Lakers. He also spent time with the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers.
He made his professional basketball debut with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2003. He subsequently played for the Sacramento Kings and Portland Trail Blazers in 2006. After a brief stint with Club Sportivo Independientient in Spain, Udoka returned to the D-League and signed with the New York Knicks. He played eight games with the team before being waived.
After his playing days ended, Udoka transitioned into coaching. In August 2012, he joined the staff of the San Antonio Spurs as an assistant coach. He also became an assistant coach with the Portland Trail Blazers and the Boston Celtics.
Ethnicity
Whenever you see Ime Udoka, you will find him to be a handsome man with an attractive personality. The reason for this is that he has a well-maintained body. His height is 6 feet 6 inches, and his weight is 98 kg.
Ime Udoka is a member of the African American ethnicity. He has a father, Vitalis Udoka, who is from the Akwa Ibom region of Nigeria. His mother, Agnes Udoka, is from the United States. His mother, Agnes, died of cancer in late 2011.
In 2004, Ime Udoka signed a contract with the Los Angeles Sparks. He spent a year in Spain playing for Gran Canaria. He then returned to the United States and continued his studies. He also worked as an assistant coach for the USA basketball team under Gregg Popovich. He later became a head coach for the Boston Celtics. In the year 2013, he led the Celtics to the NBA finals. He made a huge amount of money from his coaching job.
Boston Celtics suspension
Earlier this week, the Boston Celtics announced that they had suspended head coach Ime Udoka for the rest of the season, and possibly the 2022-2023 NBA season. The suspension was ostensibly for crude language with a subordinate, but the real reason was a private investigation uncovered a consensual relationship between Udoka and a member of the team’s front office.
In July, the Celtics were alerted to the fact that Udoka had a consensual relationship with a staff member. However, it wasn’t until earlier this week that the team announced its plan to suspend him, which was not announced publicly until Friday.
The suspension was actually the result of a private investigation, and it comes at a time when the Celtics have been in the news for all the wrong reasons. The team lost their top assistant, Will Hardy, to Utah, and now is looking to add another coach to the fold.
Nets’ decision to hire him
Several months ago, the Brooklyn Nets were reportedly pursuing Ime Udoka as a potential head coach. He was rumored to be the next head coach for the franchise, following Steve Nash’s departure. The Nets engaged in initial discussions with Udoka, but decided not to make a move.
The Nets may have been trying to keep their “superstar” centric concept alive. However, it seems that the NBA is also affecting team business.
The Nets have been criticized for their handling of the Kyrie Irving scandal. Irving was suspended for four games without pay for retweeting antisemitic material. He has to complete six tasks before he can return to the team.
The hiring of Udoka would add to the fire, particularly from a media standpoint. The Nets have already had their fair share of controversy and drama, and hiring Udoka would only add to that.
Future plans
Despite his success as a coach, Ime Udoka’s future plans have not been made clear. The Boston Celtics have suspended him for the entire 2022-23 season due to violations of team policies. The suspension will likely force him to seek an assistant job elsewhere.
Udoka was the Celtics’ head coach last season and led the team to its first appearance in the NBA Finals in five years. Before taking the reins in Boston, he worked as an assistant coach with the Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets and San Antonio Spurs. He was also part of the leadership shake-up in Boston during the offseason.
In his first year as a head coach, Udoka guided the Celtics to a 51-31 record in the regular season, which was good enough to qualify them for the NBA Finals. He then helped them to a sweep of the Brooklyn Nets in the playoffs.
