Ime Udoka

Ime Udoka
San Antonio Spurs
Position Assistant coach
League NBA
Personal information
Born (1977-08-09) August 9, 1977
Portland, Oregon
Nationality American / Nigerian
Listed height 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight 215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High school Jefferson (Portland, Oregon)
College
NBA draft 2000 / Undrafted
Playing career 2000–2012
Position Small forward
Number 3, 5, 8
Coaching career 2012–present
Career history
As player:
2000–2001 Fargo-Moorhead Beez
2001 Independiente
2002–2003 North Charleston Lowgators
2003 Adirondack Wildcats
2003–2004 Charleston Lowgators
2004 Los Angeles Lakers
2004 Charleston Lowgators
2004 Gran Canaria
2005 JA Vichy
2005–2006 Fort Worth Flyers
2006 New York Knicks
2006–2007 Portland Trail Blazers
2007–2009 San Antonio Spurs
2009–2010 Sacramento Kings
2010–2011 San Antonio Spurs
2012 UCAM Murcia
As coach:
2012–present San Antonio Spurs (assistant)
Career highlights and awards

As player:

As assistant coach:

Medals
Men's Basketball
Representing  Nigeria
African Championships
2005 Algeria Nigeria
2011 Madagascar Nigeria

Ime Sunday Udoka (/ˈiːmeɪ uːˈdoʊkə/ EE-may oo-DOH-kə; born August 9, 1977) is a Nigerian-American former professional basketball player and current assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played internationally with the Nigeria national basketball team.

Career

Udoka, a small forward, attended Portland's Jefferson High School, and the University of San Francisco, before transferring to Portland State University where he starred for the Vikings. He started his professional basketball career by playing in the NBDL with the Charleston Lowgators who drafted him with 39th overall pick in 2002 NBDL Draft.[1] He was called up to play with the Los Angeles Lakers on January 14, 2004, but was later waived. After a stint in Europe, he returned to the states and once again drafted in NBDL. This time he was drafted 3rd overall by Fort Worth Flyers in 2005 NBDL Draft.[2] He averaged 17.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game with the Flyers.[3] On April 6, 2006, Udoka was signed by the New York Knicks. Udoka was waived by the Knicks on September 11, 2006.

Udoka was the last player invited to his hometown Portland Trail Blazers training camp before the 2006–07 season, getting the invite only after Aaron Miles failed a physical. Despite the death of his father during the preseason,[4] Udoka impressed the coaching staff with his defense and professionalism, and improbably, made the team.[5] After having played in only 12 NBA games in his career, Udoka started in 75 games played in the 2006–07 season. He played 28.6 minutes per game while averaging 8.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 0.9 steals.

In 2007, Udoka signed a contract with the San Antonio Spurs.[3][6] He played in 73 games averaging 5.8 points and 3.1 rebounds in 18 minutes. On his second season with the Spurs, Udoka played in 67 games, and started in three. He averaged 4.3 points and 2.8 rebounds in 15.4 minutes.[7]

Following the 2009 season, Udoka became a free agent, eventually re-signing with the Trail Blazers.[8] He was waived by the Blazers on October 22, 2009,[9] but signed with the Sacramento Kings on November 4, 2009.[10] He played 69 games with the Kings, averaging 3.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in 13.7 minutes.

On November 24, 2010, Udoka rejoined the San Antonio Spurs,[11] but he was waived on January 5, 2011 after playing only 20 games.[12]

On December 15, 2011, Udoka signed with the New Jersey Nets. However, he was waived on December 23, 2011.

In January 2012 he signed with UCAM Murcia, a team in the Spanish ACB League.[13]

In August 2012, Udoka joined the San Antonio Spurs as an assistant coach. Udoka would win his first championship after the Spurs defeated the Miami Heat in the 2014 NBA Finals 4 games to 1.[14]

Udoka was also the key for LaMarcus Aldridge's decision to join the San Antonio Spurs in 2015. Both Udoka and Aldridge played together with the Trail Blazers during their rookie season.[15]

Personal life

Though American-born, Udoka's father of Akwa Ibom descent, was born in Nigeria,[4] which qualified him as a member of the Nigerian basketball squad, for whom he played at the 2006 FIBA World Championships. His older sister Mfon used to play in the WNBA. His mother, who died in late 2011, was an American from Illinois.[16]

In November 2011, Udoka's girlfriend (actress Nia Long) gave birth to his first child, Kez Sunday Udoka.[17]

NBA career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

Regular season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2003–04 L.A. Lakers 4 0 7.0 .333 .000 .500 1.3 .5 .5 .2 2.0
2005–06 New York 8 0 14.3 .375 .333 .500 2.1 .8 .1 .0 2.8
2006–07 Portland 75 75 28.6 .461 .406 .742 3.7 1.5 .9 .2 8.4
2007–08 San Antonio 73 0 18.0 .424 .370 .759 3.1 .9 .8 .2 5.8
2008–09 San Antonio 67 3 15.4 .383 .328 .609 2.8 .8 .5 .2 4.3
2009–10 Sacramento 69 2 13.7 .378 .286 .737 2.8 .8 .5 .1 3.6
2010–11 San Antonio 20 0 6.5 .238 .000 .500 .9 .7 .4 .0 .7
Career 316 80 18.1 .417 .356 .705 2.9 1.0 .7 .2 5.2

Playoffs

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2008 San Antonio 16 0 14.8 .465 .400 .714 2.9 1.1 .7 .1 5.4
2009 San Antonio 5 0 20.8 .350 .125 .400 4.6 .8 .8 .2 3.4
Career 21 0 16.2 .440 .354 .583 3.3 1.0 .7 .1 5.0

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ime Udoka.
  1. ↑ NBDL: 2003-03 NBDL Draft Board
  2. ↑ NBA Development League: 2005 NBA D-League Draft Board
  3. 1 2 http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/stories/MYSA081407.Spurs.Udoka.en.35bc859.html Spurs: Udoka agrees to contract
  4. 1 2 Former Viking Ime Udoka Makes His Way In The NBA, published Feb. 14, 2007
  5. ↑ Quick, Jason. "Blazers set roster, and Udoka is on team". The Oregonian, October 27, 2006.
  6. ↑ Spurs add Blazers' sniper Udoka, August 16, 2007
  7. ↑ Ime Udoka Profile on NBA.com
  8. ↑ "Trail Blazers sign Ime Udoka" (Press release). Portland Trail Blazers. September 25, 2009.
  9. ↑ Portland Waives Udoka And Collins
  10. ↑ Kings sign Udoka. Retrieved on November 4, 2009.
  11. ↑ "Spurs sign Ime Udoka". spurs.com. San Antonio Spurs. 24 November 2010. Retrieved 24 November 2010.
  12. ↑ "Spurs waive Ime Udoka". spurs.com. San Antonio Spurs. 5 January 2011. Retrieved 8 January 2011.
  13. ↑ UCAM Murcia signs Ime Udoka, release Matt Walsh
  14. ↑ Ime Udoka Joins Spurs Coaching Staff
  15. ↑ LaMarcus Aldridge: Ime Udoka got the Spurs deal done
  16. ↑ ESPN Nets Report, Dec. 15, 2011: "Udoka dealing with tragedy"
  17. ↑ Daily Mail, January 13, 2012: "My little man! Soul Food actress Nia Long beams as she shows off newborn son Kez Sunday for the first time"
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