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Thursday 24 June 2021 07:35, UK
The Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets assistant Ime Udoka are putting the finishing touches on a deal for Udoka to become Boston's new head coach, according to reports.
Udoka, 43, is a longtime disciple of San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, having worked on Popovich's Spurs staff as an assistant coach for seven years and serving as his assistant at the 2019 World Cup tournament.
Following his time in San Antonio, Udoka joined the Philadelphia 76ers for a year before spending this past season on the Nets staff.
The Portland, Oregon, native played a total of 316 games over seven seasons, averaging 5.2 points and 2.9 rebounds per game while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings and the Spurs, before retiring in 2012 and joining Popovich's staff in San Antonio.
He was with the Spurs for seven seasons, including in 2013-14, when they won the NBA title.
The ESPN report cited Celtics players' positive reviews referencing Udoka's work at the World Cup tournament.
Udoka takes over a Celtics team that reached the Eastern Conference finals in three of the previous four seasons before plummeting to the No. 7 seed this year and losing in the first round to Brooklyn. After the five-game loss to the Nets, basketball boss Danny Ainge retired and coach Brad Stevens gave up his spot on the bench to replace him.
Once primed to compete for a spot in the finals, the Celtics seem to be losing ground in the East. Although Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have emerged as stars, the team has struggled to find additional pieces that can challenge the assembled stars in Milwaukee, Philadelphia and now Brooklyn and Atlanta.
Former Celtics coach Brad Stevens' first major move since taking over the front office was to trade injured point guard Kemba Walker to Oklahoma City for big man Al Horford, giving up the team's first-round draft pick to save salary cap space.
