APRIL 25: Udoka has officially been named the Rockets’ head coach, according to a team press release.
“We are excited to welcome Ime to the Houston Rockets,” Stone said in a statement. “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 the Fertitta Family and myself have for the future of the Rockets.”
APRIL 24: Former Celtics head coach Ime Udoka has reached an agreement with the Rockets to become their next head coach, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
Udoka replaces Stephen Silas, whose team option for 2023/24 was declined after the season.
After leading Boston to the NBA Finals last season, Udoka was suspended by the club this season for an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate. Udoka essentially became a free agent when the Celtics removed the interim tag from his replacement, Joe Mazzulla, in mid-February.
Udoka was prominently mentioned during the Rockets’ search right from the start and the team’s interest in him grew after their initial meeting, according to Wojnarowski’s sources (Twitter link).
Udoka and Houston GM Rafael Stone remained in communication and reached an agreement over the last 24 hours. A young roster, salary flexibility and a 14% chance to land Victor Wembanyama at the No. 1 overall pick swayed Udoka to take the job.
Houston was tied with San Antonio for the league’s second worst record at 22-60.
The Rockets also interviewed several other prominent coaches for the job, including former Lakers coach Frank Vogel, former Hornets coach James Borrego and former Nets coach Kenny Atkinson. Sixers assistant Sam Cassell, Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin and Suns assistant Kevin Young were also in the mix and Houston also had reported interest in Nick Nurse, who recently parted ways with the Raptors.
Vogel was also considered particularly impressive in his interview, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes.
Udoka was considered a serious candidate for the Toronto job before coming to terms with the Rockets.
Wow is this a good hire? There’s really no toughness on the team for them to install a defensive mindset. There’s no Marcus Smart and no Robert Williams and no Grant williams. Be interesting to see how this works out.
Here’s a quick prediction. Kevin Porter Jr will blow a gasket by Christmas. And with that new 3-year contract extension around 19 million a year, this hire is going to blow up in everyone’s face. Square Peg in a round hole ain’t going to work.
Porter’s contract extension is actually a year-to-year deal where only the 1st year is guaranteed. So if he busts after this upcoming season they can release him and start Scoot full time (if they get the 2nd pick).
Ah good point, thanks for bringing it up. I guess with his reputation the agent signed off on it.
Great hire. Initially was hoping for Nurse until I learned he is soft on players. Rockets need a coach that is confident in his system and will be the one to handle interpersonal confrontations.
Udoka is well versed at handling interpersonal relationships… It’s one of the reasons he lasted so long with Bos….
Oh wait…
My ribs hurt too much from laughing…
Houston deserves that break. NRG has long been the biggest asylum outside of Austin. A real coach might actually hold players accountable for their actions.
I wanted nurse, but the mess in Toronto probably nixed that.
It’s a good hire if the Rockets don’t sign Harden. It’s a bad hire if the Rockets sign Harden.
I’m in two minds here. On paper he’s a top coach and players seem to respect him. But he is still not the most experienced and the jury is still out on what actually happened up on Bos. A very young team with the bad habits along with their raw potential may be a big task to take on.
Question is, is he better for the team than Nurse would be, or even Vogel?(best other options IMO) based on the way their teams play I would say Ime is better on that front for the group currently there. Luckily Nets backed out when they canned Nash and no one else has moved quicker to get him.
He slept with another man’s wife. Just so happened the dude was a VP. Nothing major
Players respect him?
Not if they’re married and faithful they won’t…
Ime must’ve met Ms Fertitta and liked what he’d seen
I feel like this is the worst fit for both parties
Haha, exactly
Why?
That team is nowhere near a contender and by the time they are he’ll have worn out his welcome (like almost every coach in the league now)
They needed a voice and leader that held the team accountable. Which was the direct opposite of what they had before. Also, he’s a great defensive mind. The Rockets have been a terrible team on defense especially for years. They’re young and have talent + a ton of $. Don’t see in any way that it’s a bad fit for both parties. Seems like a very simple minded assessment.
Exactly…
His time in Boston shows he’s a cancer on team culture and that he’s the type of coach that can’t rebuild a team… You can’t be that type of hard ass coach whilst rebuilding…
He’d be ok with a team that has a chance and no cares about team culture… The Rockets only tick one of those boxes…
Biggest bag fumbler. All over mediocre some mediocre yams…
Hide your wives
How is this funny
How is it not? In a society that no longer frowns on it, we can at least make fun of it — or are you stanning for adultery?
Because Ime couldn’t keep his zip shut…
But what if we want out?
Raptors fired a good coach in Nurse because they thought they were landing Udoka. Now what do they do?
Hire a coach to lead them through a rebuild.
Hire a coach that is good for their teams culture..
Ujiri isn’t stupid…
Those rumours always smelt more like Ime’s agent putting things out there to drum up his value…
Ime Udoka is a really good head coach and going to do a great job for the Houston Rockets. I would love to see them make a trade to get Jaylen Brown. Jaylen Brown loves to play for Ime Udoka. It’s his favorite coach.
If the Houston Rockets have to trade Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr. and Ja’Sean Tate they should do so.
I would like to see them keep Jabari Smith Jr. Kenyon Martin Jr. and Tari Eason because they nice two way players. You need them type of pieces to win.
So the Celtics are trading a Top 20 player for a bag of beans, a guy they could of drafted and Kevin Porter Jr.? Have you looked at the Celtics roster? They dont need bodies. Houston’s only chance is if they draft the kid from France. That might get the Celtics attention.
Plus Jaylen is giving up all that money to follow Udoka? Not likely.
I think Jalen Green is just a tad better than a “bag of beans”
True. Also true is that you’re not going to get Brown for that package, Green or no Green.
Great hire by the rockets! Udoka will lead them to the play in and much more. Thought Udoka to the raptors was a done deal oh well wonder who else they have in mind.
Toronto? Ha, ha! Udoka knows Texas & Texas knows Udoka. Perfect fit.
Surely HOU could have found something better than that, right?
Udoka was smart to take the job. He did a great job in his 1 year as HC in BOS, but it was an off the grid undertaking, and still 1 year, so it doesn’t put him in universal demand. ATL and BKN moving in different directions for different reasons, had to tell him that. TOR was a possiblity, but after hearing Ujiri opine on the roster and last year’s coaching of it, I could see him deciding to take the low lying fruit here, vs having to prove to Ujiri that he can spin straw into gold in yet another situation, and then, worse, actually having to do it.
Watch out Houston Tinder accounts!
Or Grindr accounts soon in Detroit with their new HC
That’s Jason Collins not Jarron Collins lmao
Lol
Toronto fumbled it. Be interesting who they hire now, which direction they head and how successful they are….
As for Houston. Udoka is a good leader for them. Kinda hoping they don’t get Victor and end up with Scoot. Think Udoka, Scoot, Jalen and Jabari is a great mix. KPJ would be a solid sixth man, I think Udoka gets the best out of Tate and Eason at SF. Then to round out the team they need to add some vets for culture building, work ethic and all that good stuff.
Personally I’d stay well away from Harden. He’s going to be old and slow, banged up and that contract will look terrible. Plus he doesn’t exactly set the right culture for the young kids. He will be in nightclubs, hanging with celebrities etc etc.
No need to try speed up the rebuild just take it as it comes. Great hire for head coach, all the best in the draft and I have faith they’ll make the right decisions in building the rest of the roster if they stay away from harden.
The Raptors made a smart move by avoiding Udoka…
He’s an unproven coach with only 1 years experience with a finals roster… The Raptors have to build to that point, something that Udoka is unproven in…
The fact he’s a cancer for team culture is also another smart reason to avoid the fool…
You can’t say he’s a cancer fro team culture when he had 1 season and it was a booming success. The culture was great, he just had a personal relationship with someone he shouldn’t have within the organisation.
Granted he is still relatively unproven with only 1 year of experience but that was an amazing season. The previous year they went 36-36 and finished 7th, the following year went 51-31 finishing 2nd going to the NBA finals and losing in 6.
As for the raptors they don’t really need a rebuild they won a title like 3/4 years ago. You’ve got an all nba player in siakim, former all star in FVV, Scottie Barnes was rookie of the year last year, OG should be defensive this year and then as far as role player go, GTJ is handy. Thad and Boucher are just a couple seasons removed from being in the sixth man of the year race and so on.
Be interesting to see who the raptors select now and which direction they go is all I have to say. Udoka would’ve cemented them as to being a top 6 side in the east again
He had 1 season where he showed he was a culture cancer within the team and it was the ONLY reason he lost his job…
No one who has family values will respect him…
The Raptors are destined to become the Wizards if they don’t rebuild. Indy, Det and Orl are all going to pass the Raptors in 1 or 2 years and they’re a few steps behind the top 6 teams.
What a dumb move by Houston…
An unproven coach for a rebuilding team…
They’ve already got a culture issue, and Udoka isn’t an easy person to respect… So he ain’t fixing that…
Gotta feel for the Rockets fans… They had such a bright off season ahead of them… Now they could see their top pick in rumours because of the dumptster fire that Houston will be…
Its not a dumb move, there isnt a perfect coach here. You even said it yourself, its a rebuilding team – sometimes those teams have to switch coaches if after the smoke clears and the vision is there and the vision doesn’t include them. Also randomly other coaches will become available 1-5 years from now, etc.
A rebuilding coach needs far more patience than Udoka showed at Boston…
And also needs to have the respect of his players… Something Udoka’s inability to keep it in his pants has ruined…
Any family man on the team ain’t gonna respect him…
Hahahaha, you think NBA players who get all their pull from Instagram models care that Udoka had a consensual relationship? Ahahahahaha
There are more types of players than immature boys…
The real men wouldn’t stand for it…
Real men wouldn’t stand for a consensual relationship? Tf you talking about? You all over the place son
They have a good shot at Scoot and Lively in the draft. There will be some competent pieces on the roster. Fitting them together into a culture and identity will be the challenge.
Of all the people I like this move. I did not want Vogel but I figured Houston after Toronto dumped Nurse would want Udoku before Toronto got him.
Players to dump Nix, Tate, KPJ, Garuba
Keep Jalen, Sengun, Jabari, Tari, KJ
Would love Wem in the draft.
No Harden
I say give Ime the chance. I do hope he gets to pick his assistants. I am assuming all that Silas had are gone. I do wish could have kept Lucas He knows the Rockets and been with the team for so long. I just hope Ime fits and more. Time to move on from past. But will be an interesting offseason now.
I would keep Tate too on the bench. If Sengun is 6’9 then trade him for a real center. Everyone is undersized for their position and playing the wrong position.
NN ends up in Philly, after Philly gets gentlemen-swept by the C’s.
Harden goes back to Houston, and joins forces with Ime.
Kawhi POSSIBLY ends up in Toronto, but of course a lot of factors still at play.
First 2 have a good chance of happening though, IMO.
You heard it here first.
The spurs should get the number one pick