After a tumultuous several months, Ime Udoka, former head coach of the Celtics, is headed for a new gig. This time, he’ll be located in Houston as the Rockets’ head coach. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the breaking news on April 24, via Twitter, simply stating: “ESPN Sources: Ime Udoka has agreed to a deal to become the next Houston Rockets coach.”
ESPN Sources: Ime Udoka has agreed to a deal to become the next Houston Rockets coach. pic.twitter.com/xhcDRDfnNJ
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 24, 2023
Although Udoka led the Boston Celtics to the NBA Finals, he was terminated, after an initial suspension, in light of a “consensual intimate relationship” with a woman within the interworking of the Celtics back office organization. At the same time, he was engaged to actress Nia Long, which created additional headlines not only in sports, but also in entertainment and celebrity gossip news. Now, he is resurfacing with this new head coach offer on the table.
According to ESPN, the Houston Rockets made an investigation into not only the league office but also into the Celtics organizations, before moving forward with their offer as head coach. General manager Rafael Sone made a statement about the decision, saying, “Ime’s intelligence, drive and toughness were the traits we were looking for in a coach to lead our team through this next stage of our development as we strive to become a champion. We were honored to have the opportunity to speak to multiple outstanding candidates throughout the interview process and felt that Ime’s vision best aligned with the goals at the Fertitta Family and myself have for the future of the Rockets.”
Other notable candidates considered for the Houston Rockets head coach job were Frank Vogel, Former head coach of the Lakers, and coach James Borrego, formerly of the Charlotte Hornets.
