1. Ime Sunday Udoka is a Nigerian-American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association.
26 Facts About Ime Udoka
1. 2.
Ime Udoka was born in Portland, Oregon on August 9,1977, to Vitalis and Agnes Udoka.
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Ime Udoka's father moved to the US from Nigeria in 1970, and his mother was an American from Illinois.
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Ime Udoka played for Utah State University Eastern and the University of San Francisco before transferring to Portland State University, where he starred for the Vikings.
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Ime Udoka played with the North Charleston Lowgators from 2002 to 2003.
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Ime Udoka played in the NBDL with the Charleston Lowgators, who drafted him with 39th overall pick in 2002 NBDL Draft.
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On January 14,2004, Ime Udoka signed a 10-day contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.
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Ime Udoka averaged 17.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game with the Flyers.
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Ime Udoka appeared in eight games, averaging 2.8 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 14.3 minutes.
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Ime Udoka played 28.6 minutes per game while averaging 8.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 0.9 steals.
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Ime Udoka played in 73 games, averaging 5.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 0.9 assists in 18 minutes.
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On November 4,2009, Ime Udoka signed with the Sacramento Kings.
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Ime Udoka played in 69 games and started in two, averaging 3.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 13.7 minutes.
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On December 15,2011, Ime Udoka signed with the New Jersey Nets.
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On January 5,2012, Ime Udoka signed with UCAM Murcia of the Spanish Liga ACB.
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Ime Udoka won his first championship when the Spurs defeated the Miami Heat in five games during the 2014 NBA Finals.
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Ime Udoka was the key for LaMarcus Aldridge's decision to join the Spurs in 2015 as they were teammates on the Portland Trail Blazers during Aldridge's rookie season.
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On June 26,2019, Ime Udoka was hired as an assistant coach of the Philadelphia 76ers.
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Ime Udoka was disciplined for engaging in an improper intimate relationship with a female staff member.
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Ime Udoka issued an apology after being suspended, but Udoka chose not to resign from his position due to the violation.
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Ime Udoka played for Nigeria in the 2005 and 2011 FIBA Africa Championships, winning a bronze medal in both tournaments.
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Ime Udoka has served as an assistant coach for USA Basketball under his Spurs head coach, Gregg Popovich.
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Ime Udoka's coaching role on the 2019 FIBA World Cup team helped him build relationships with Celtics players Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart, who advocated for his hiring as the new Celtics head coach.
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Ime Udoka coached for Team USA under Popovich at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, along with Celtics assistant Will Hardy.
25.
Ime Udoka's mother, Agnes, who died in late 2011, was an American from Illinois.
26.
In February 2010, Ime Udoka met actress Nia Long and they later began a relationship.