Ime Udoka facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ime Udoka

Udoka with the Houston Rockets in 2024
Houston Rockets
Head coach
Personal information
Born	(1977-08-09) August 9, 1977 (age 47) Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Nationality	American / Nigerian
High school	Jefferson (Portland, Oregon)
Listed height	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight	220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
College	Utah State Eastern (1995–1997) San Francisco (1997–1998) Portland State (1999–2000)
NBA Draft	2000 / Undrafted
Pro career	2000–2012
Coaching career	2012–present
League	NBA
Career history
As player:
2000–2001	Fargo-Moorhead Beez
2001	Independiente
2002–2003	North Charleston Lowgators
2003	Adirondack Wildcats
2003–2004	Charleston Lowgators
2004	Los Angeles Lakers
2004	Charleston Lowgators
2004	Gran Canaria
2005	JA Vichy
2005–2006	Fort Worth Flyers
2006	New York Knicks
2006–2007	Portland Trail Blazers
2007–2009	San Antonio Spurs
2009–2010	Sacramento Kings
2010–2011	San Antonio Spurs
2012	UCAM Murcia
As coach:
2012–2019	San Antonio Spurs (assistant)
2019–2020	Philadelphia 76ers (assistant)
2020–2021	Brooklyn Nets (assistant)
2021–2023	Boston Celtics
2023–present	Houston Rockets
Career highlights and awards
As player All-NBA D-League First Team (2006) All-NBDL Second Team (2004) Jason Collier Sportsmanship Award (2006) As assistant coach NBA champion (2014)
Career NBA statistics
Points	1,635 (5.2 ppg)
Rebounds	926 (2.9 rpg)
Assists	308 (1.0 apg)
Medals Men's Basketball Representing  Nigeria African Championships Bronze 2005 Algeria Nigeria Bronze 2011 Madagascar Nigeria Olympic Games Assistant coach for the  United States Gold 2020 Tokyo Team

Ime Sunday Udoka (born August 9, 1977) is a Nigerian-American basketball coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the Houston Rockets in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Ime played for the Nigerian national team. After his playing career, he became an assistant coach for several NBA teams. He then became the head coach of the Boston Celtics, leading them to the 2022 NBA Finals. In April 2023, he was hired by the Rockets.

Early Life and College Basketball

Ime Udoka was born in Portland, Oregon on August 9, 1977. His father, Vitalis, moved to the U.S. from Nigeria in 1970. His mother, Agnes, was from Illinois. Ime went to Jefferson High School in Portland.

After high school, Udoka played college basketball. He played for Utah State University Eastern and the University of San Francisco. Later, he transferred to Portland State University, where he was a star player for the Vikings.

Playing Career Highlights

Ime Udoka started his professional basketball journey in 2000. He played for several teams in different leagues. These included teams like the Fargo-Moorhead Beez and the North Charleston Lowgators. He also played in Europe for teams like CB Gran Canaria and JA Vichy.

Playing in the NBA

Udoka played for several teams in the NBA. He signed a short contract with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2004. He also played for the New York Knicks in 2006.

His time with the Portland Trail Blazers was notable. He joined his hometown team in 2006. Despite a tough start, he played in 75 games and started all of them during the 2006–07 season. He averaged 8.4 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.

Udoka then played for the San Antonio Spurs from 2007 to 2009. He later returned to the Spurs for another season in 2010. He also played for the Sacramento Kings in 2009–2010. His playing career ended in 2012 with UCAM Murcia in Spain.

Coaching Career Journey

After his playing days, Ime Udoka became a successful coach. He started as an assistant coach and worked his way up to a head coach position.

Assistant Coach Roles

Udoka began his coaching career with the San Antonio Spurs. He was an assistant coach under Gregg Popovich from 2012 to 2019. During this time, the Spurs won an NBA championship in 2014.

He then worked as an assistant coach for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2019–2020. After that, he joined the Brooklyn Nets as an assistant coach for the 2020–2021 season.

Leading the Boston Celtics

Udoka in 2021

In June 2021, the Boston Celtics hired Udoka as their head coach. He was the first head coach of African origin in NBA history.

The Celtics had a great turnaround in the 2021–22 season. They started with a tough record but finished strong. Udoka won two Eastern Conference Coach of the Month awards. The team made it to the 2022 NBA Finals, but they lost to the Golden State Warriors.

Udoka in 2022

Before the 2022–23 season, the Celtics suspended Udoka. This was due to him violating team rules regarding his behavior with a staff member. He apologized for his actions. Assistant coach Joe Mazzulla took over as interim head coach. In February 2023, Mazzulla became the permanent head coach, ending Udoka's time with the Celtics.

Coaching the Houston Rockets

On April 25, 2023, Udoka became the head coach for the Houston Rockets. In his first season, the Rockets won 13 of 15 games in March. Udoka was named Western Conference Coach of the Month for March. The team finished the season with a 41–41 record.

National Team Contributions

Ime Udoka played for the Nigerian national team. He led Nigeria in scoring, assists, and steals at the 2006 FIBA World Championships. He also won bronze medals with Nigeria at the 2005 and 2011 FIBA Africa Championships.

Udoka also served as an assistant coach for USA Basketball. He worked under his former Spurs coach, Gregg Popovich. He helped coach the team at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, where they won a gold medal.

Personal Life

Ime Udoka's father was from Nigeria, which gave Ime Nigerian citizenship. His older sister, Mfon, also played professional basketball in the WNBA. His mother, Agnes, was from Illinois.

Ime Udoka has a son named Kez Sunday, born in 2011. He was previously engaged to actress Nia Long.

Images for kids

• 

  Udoka in 2010

See also

• List of people banned or suspended by the NBA
• In Spanish: Ime Udoka para niños