SECOND CHANCE

Houston Rockets to Sign Embattled Former Celtics Coach Ime Udoka

Udoka was suspended for a full season and ultimately fired by the Celtics after carrying out an inappropriate relationship with an employee.

The Rockets have reached a deal to bring former Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka to Houston, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Wednesday. After taking Boston to the NBA Finals last season, Udoka was suspended for a full season and ultimately fired for violating a number of team policies pertaining to an inappropriate relationship he had with a Celtics employee. The relationship was first reported as completely consensual, but the employee later claimed that Udoka had made “unwanted comments” towards her. Sources told ESPN that the Rockets “probed the circumstances” that led to Udoka’s departure from the Celtics prior to reaching the agreement. In Udoka’s first and only season as an NBA coach, he led the Celtics to a 51-31 record, eventually losing to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.