Inside The Rockets

NBA Coach Praises Rockets' Ime Udoka

Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka has earned respect from his peers.

Jeremy Brener

Dec 3, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka is ejected during the fourth quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
Dec 3, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka is ejected during the fourth quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images / Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
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Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka has quickly turned things around for the franchise.

Upon arriving to Houston, the Rockets were under .500 for three consecutive seasons, but Udoka was able to pull things back in and get the Rockets to 41-41 last season.

Now, the Rockets are 16-8 with a chance at cracking the postseason this year, earning praise from Los Angeles Clippers coach and former Houston guard Tyronn Lue.

“Ime has definitely come in and put his stamp on the team,” Lue said via NBC Sports writer Kurt Helin. “Tough nose team that’s going to play defense and compete every single night. And he got the guys that he wants there, he did the same thing in Boston. So they have a great defensive-minded team and they play hard, compete every single night.”

The Rockets are on the right path, and it all started with hiring Udoka. Now, he has the team on the right path as they chase the NBA Cup title and a spot in the playoffs for the first time since the James Harden era back in 2020.

Udoka and the Rockets are back in action tonight as they host the Golden State Warriors for a spot in the NBA Cup semifinals in Las Vegas. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. CT inside Toyota Center.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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