Ime Udoka

Ime Udoka is a Nigerian American professional basketball coach and former player known for his role as head coach of the Houston Rockets and his past tenure with the Boston Celtics. Udoka spent his childhood in Portland, Oregon. He attended Jefferson High School before playing college basketball at the University of San Francisco and later transferring to Portland State University, where he continued developing as a forward.

Udoka began his professional career overseas before eventually making his way to the NBA. He played for teams including the Sacramento Kings and Portland Trail Blazers and later transitioned to coaching teams including the San Antonio Spurs, where he helped lead the squad to the 2014 championship.

He later served as an assistant coach for the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets before being named head coach of the Celtics in 2021, leading the team to the NBA Finals in his first season. He was hired by the Rockets as head coach in 2023.

Udoka was in a long-term relationship with actress Nia Long. The couple share one son, Kez (born in 2011), and got engaged in 2015. They later split after Udoka’s alleged workplace affair.