Nets Assistant Royal Ivey Joins Rockets Coaching Staff Under Ime Udoka
HOUSTON — Ime Udoka made his first hire as coach of the Houston Rockets Thursday morning. ESPN was the first to report that Royal Ivey will join Udoka's staff as an assistant coach.
Ivey has spent three seasons as an assistant with the Brooklyn Nets. Former coach Steve Nash hired Ivey in November 2020. And during Ivey's first season, he and Udoka served under Nash as assistants.
Before joining the Nets, Ivey spent two seasons as an assistant with the New York Knicks (2018-2020) and Oklahoma City Thunder (2016-2018).
Ivey is a former player who played nine seasons in the league. He was a second-round selection of the Atlanta Hawks in 2004. And following his three-year stint, Ivey played for the Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers and Oklahoma City Thunder.
He began his coaching career in 2014 with the Oklahoma City Blue as an assistant, the Thunder's G League affiliate team.
General manager Rafael Stone said he would "encourage" the next head coach to look at Stephen Silas' previous staff for potential holdovers. And a pair of candidates have emerged as early favorites for Udoka.
Assistant coaches Mahmoud Abdelfattah and John Lucas II are still candidates to join Udoka's staff. Abdelfattah and Lucas played prominent roles in the development of Houston's young corps throughout the 2022-23 campaign.
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