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Ime Udoka has had quite a run in his first season as head coach of the Boston Celtics. From Jayson Tatum's standpoint, Udoka's coaching run in Boston has already bested his own playing career.
Speaking on Saturday ahead of Game 2 of the 2022 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors, Tatum took some time to once again laud Udoka, and he also joked a bit about the first-year head coach’s playing days.
“He's done a great job,” Tatum said. “Talking about where he started, 10-day contracts and things like that. He's obviously had to work his way to get here, and he carries that sense of toughness with him and does instill that into the group every day.
“Proud of him. I'm happy that we have him as a coach. He's a much better coach than he was a basketball player, and I think he knows that, as well.”
Udoka had a patient but worthwhile journey to the NBA two decades ago. He was not selected in the 2000 NBA Draft and featured in leagues such as the International Basketball Association and NBA D-League before signing a 10-day contract with the Los Angeles Lakers over the 2003-2004 campaign. The Lakers later waived him after he took part in a mere four games in the season, as he did not go on to feature in what turned out to be their run to the 2004 NBA Finals against the Detroit Pistons.
Udoka later played on four other NBA teams, and he also took his talents to basketball leagues in France and Spain.
As was the case in his playing career, Udoka had a roller-coaster run before receiving his first head coaching offer. He was an assistant coach with three different NBA teams, and his work paid off as he went on to be named the head coach of the Celtics ahead of this season.
From his stern leadership within the team to the successful implementation of a switch-heavy system on defense, Udoka is making the most out of his debut season as a head coach in the NBA. And to Tatum’s point, not many would likely counter his stance on Udoka's playing and coaching career.
