Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka, making his first appearance in Boston since last season’s suspension and subsequent replacement, shared his thoughts on the experience and expressed regrets over past actions.
Udoka, suspended for multiple team rule violations, including an improper relationship with a staff member, reflected on the unfinished job, the relationships built, and the impact on people.
He stated, “I talked about it, obviously when it happened and obviously in my press conference leading up to Houston. But job not finished. The relationships you build and the people you impact. So that’d be the biggest thing,” as reported by Tim Bontemps.
Udoka acknowledged the relationships formed during his brief tenure in Boston, emphasizing the importance of redemption and growth with a team.
He continued, “Formed a lot of relationships within a year and obviously want to get a chance to run it back with a group you feel you can build and grow with.”
The Rockets’ coach recognized the disappointment he caused, especially to players and coaching staff, and expressed a desire to move forward and rebuild those connections.
Udoka concluded, “So, letting the people down. I talked about the players, the relationships I built with them, the coaches that came with me, and then everybody else that was impacted by it. So for me, that’s the biggest thing I would say overall is letting some people down, for sure. But we’ve talked it out, and I’ve seen a lot of these people throughout the summer and talk regularly, and so we move past it.”
In a dominant TD Garden performance, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum led the Boston Celtics to a resounding 145-113 victory over the Houston Rockets, maintaining their perfect home record.
