Ime Udoka took some time to engage with a heckler after Monday’s game.
Udoka and the Houston Rockets defeated the Phoenix Suns on Monday at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Ariz. It was a very comfortable victory for the Rockets as well as they took the game by a final score of 114-92.
After the game, the Rockets head coach Udoka was walking off the court when a Suns fan in the stands decided to heckle him. The fan taunted Udoka by saying, “LeBron [James] still owns you.”
That led to Udoka stopping in his tracks and exchanging words with the heckler. After a few tense moments, the heckler repeatedly asked Udoka, “What happened in Boston?” before Udoka walked off into the tunnel.
You can see the video of the confrontation here.
Udoka has not had any direct playoff matchups against James in recent years (unless you count the time that Udoka spent playing and coaching as an assistant for the San Antonio Spurs). But he did notably get ejected from a game a couple of seasons ago after a heated incident with James and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Meanwhile, Udoka served as the head coach of the Boston Celtics from 2021-23, leading the team to the NBA Finals in 2022. But Udoka was suspended and then ultimately fired by the Celtics after a scandal in which he allegedly had an inappropriate relationship with a female team employee.
This season, Udoka and the Rockets are off to a hot 11-4 start. But Monday’s game, despite the win, was plenty contentious for Udoka as he also had an incident with a Suns player during the contest.
