What the NBA Reportedly Told Rockets About Udoka’s Improper Relationship Probe Before Hire

Houston reportedly hired the former Boston coach Monday.

With the hiring of Ime Udoka as head coach, the Rockets add a coach who left his last job due to an internal investigation over workplace misconduct.

Last September, the Celtics suspended Udoka as the team’s coach after he had an “improper intimate and consensual relationship” with a woman on staff. It was later reported that Udoka used crude language with a subordinate before the improper relationship, and that the power dynamic between Udoka and the subordinate in the relationship was a major violation.

As a result, Boston suspended Udoka for a year, and Udoka would later stop working for the team altogether as Joe Mazzulla was named permanent head coach in February.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the NBA’s investigation into Udoka’s conduct didn’t find anything “that precluded” any team from hiring him as head coach. 

“There was nothing the league office was telling them that precluded Houston or any other team from hiring Ime Udoka,” Wojnarowski said. “There was nothing that they found to be disqualifying to work again in the NBA.”

"There was nothing that they found to be disqualifying to work again in the NBA." @wojespn discusses why the @HoustonRockets decided to hire Ime Udoka as their new HC, despite his controversial exit from Boston. pic.twitter.com/ebsggtlKtG

— Outside the Lines (@OTLonESPN) April 25, 2023

The Rockets spoke with Udoka and many of his acquaintances, and seemingly were comfortable hiring him to such a prominent role.

“For Houston, they met with Udoka in person, they spent time with him, they talked to a lot of people who worked with him, who know him, who vouched for him through the years.”

This is not the first time a team tried to hire Udoka after the Boston incident, as the Nets were reportedly close to doing so in November before backing out at the last minute.

In one year as the Celtics head coach last season, Udoka led Boston to a 51–31 record and a trip to the NBA Finals, before losing to the Warriors. Houston, meanwhile, was tied for the worst record in the league this year and hasn’t surpassed 22 wins since 2019–20.