Rockets Make Strong Ime Udoka Decision Amid Knicks Rumors originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Houston Rockets’ decision to hire Ime Udoka as their head coach in 2023 has proven to be an excellent one. Udoka took over a team that had gone 22-60 in 2022-23 and immediately helped turn things around.
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The Rockets went 41-41 in Udoka’s first season and followed that up by going 52-30 in 2024-25. They were the second seed in the Western Conference and gave a red-hot Golden State Warriors team all they could handle in the first round before losing in seven games.
Despite that early exit, it was another good season for the Rockets under Udoka, and his stock around the NBA has risen again.
Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka issues instructions during a game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center.Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
Udoka’s stock had, of course, plummeted just months after he led the Boston Celtics to the NBA Finals in 2022. The Celtics would suspend him in the offseason for violating team policy by entering into an inappropriate relationship with a female staffer.
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Udoka was eventually let go by the Celtics in 2023, and the Rockets decided to give him another chance. He has repaid them well for that opportunity. Udoka’s success, however, has reportedly led to the New York Knicks being interested in hiring him to replace Tom Thibodeau.
The Knicks fired Thibodeau on Tuesday, but it doesn’t look like they’ll be able to bring in Udoka as his replacement. The Athletic’s Kelly Iko reports that the Rockets have no interest in even entertaining this topic.
So, the Knicks will need to look elsewhere, and Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd is reportedly another target. The Mavericks are expected to give the same response as the Rockets, though.
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Related: Ime Udoka Details Emotional Call That Left Gregg Popovich Crying in 2021
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 4, 2025, where it first appeared.