Seven months after being suspended for a cheating scandal, former Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka is reportedly set to make his return to the NBA by joining the Houston Rockets.
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Former Celtics Coach Ime Udoka Reportedly Set To Join Houston Rockets Months After Cheating Scandal
According to ESPN’s NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, ousted coach Ime Udoka “has agreed to a deal to become the next Houston Rockets coach.”
Woj added, “The Rockets probed the circumstances around Udoka’s Celtics departure with the team and league office, sources said. Udoka – who led the Celtics to the 2022 NBA Finals in his only season as head coach – was dismissed after findings of an inappropriate workplace relationship.”
The news that broke on Monday afternoon (April 24), comes seven months after Udoka was initially suspended in September 2022 by the Celtics organization. Udoka was banned from the entire 2022-2023 NBA season after officials learned that he had a consensual, but improper relationship with a staff member on the team.
Aside from his suspension, he also lost his fiancée and son’s mother, actress Nia Long. Nearly two months after Udoka was suspended from the team, Long posted a photo of a new apartment. She shared a photo to her Instagram feed. It was a black and white image of an empty kitchen and dining area. She captioned the post, “Thankful for the gift of new places and spaces [red heart emoji].”
RELATED: Nia Long Celebrates ‘New Places & Spaces’ 2 Months After Fiancé Ime Udoka’’s Cheating Scandal
It is reported that the organization was investigating Udoka for months prior to his suspension. While the Celtics did not reveal the several violations of team policies that they claim Udoka violated, a source has since revealed that it all stemmed from his relationship with the female Celtics staffer.
Following Udoka’s suspension, Boston handed over the interim coach title to Joe Mazzulla, who has since become the team’s full-time head coach now.
RELATED: Nia Long Speaks Out About Ime Udoka’s Scandal — Says It Was ‘Devastating’ For Their Son Kez
As for Udoka’s reported new future with the Houston Rockets, the news comes after Houston and Stephen Silas parted ways after three seasons. Instead of keeping Silas on for a fourth year, the parties split, leaving the Rockets looking to rebuild with star players: Jabari Smith Jr.; Jalen Green; Tari Eason; Alperen Şengün, and more — now possibly including Ime Udoka as head coach.
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