Ime Udoka's bio: age, contract, salary, net worth, wife

Ime Udoka's bio: age, contract, salary, net worth, wife

Kevin Omuya, Cyprine Apindi
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:01 PM

Ime Udoka is a basketball icon who has had a remarkable career on and off the basketball court. He created a legacy for himself in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In 2011, he retired from professional basketball to pursue a coaching career.

Ime Udoka
The head coach of the Boston Celtics looks on during the second quarter against the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco, California. Photo: @Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

Ime Udoka is the current head coach of the National Basketball Association's Boston Celtics. He played for a few teams. San Antonio Spurs was his last before retirement.

Profile summary

Full name

Ime Sunday Udoka

Gender

Male

Date of birth

9th August 1977

Age

45 years (as of 2022)

Place of birth

Portland, Oregon, United States of America

Current residence

Boston, United States of America

Nationality

American-Nigerian

Ethnicity

African-American

Zodiac sign

Leo

Religion

Christianity

Sexuality

Straight

Height in feet

6' 7"

Height in centimetres

201

Weight in pounds

216

Weight in kilograms

98

Hair colour

Black

Eye colour

Brown

Relationship status

Engaged

Fiancée

Nia Long

Children

1

Father

Vitalis Udoka

Siblings

1

Alma mater

Jefferson High School, Utah State University Eastern, & Portland State University

Occupation

Professional basketball coach & former player

Who is Ime Udoka?

Ime Sunday Udoka is a professional basketball coach and former basketball player. He started playing the sport in high school and had a great career until 2011 when he retired to become a coach.

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How old is Ime Udoka?

The former athlete is 45 years old as of 2022. He was born on 9th August 1977, and his Zodiac sign is Leo.

Where is Ime Udoka from?

The basketball coach is from the United States of America. He was born in Portland, Oregon, United States of America and is currently based in Boston, United States of America.

how old is ime udoka
The head coach of the Boston Celtics calls out a play in the third quarter against the Golden State Warriors in Boston, Massachusetts. Photo: @Elsa/Getty Image
Source: Getty Images

Who are Ime Udoka's parents?

The coach's father was Vitalis Udoka, and his mother's name is not known. His mother passed away in late 2011. Vitalis passed away on 17th October 2006. He has an older sister named Mfon, who played in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).

His mother was an American from Illinois, United States of America. On the other hand, Vitalis had Nigerian roots. Therefore, Ime Udoka's ethnicity is mixed (African-American).

What nationality is Ime Udoka?

Ime Udoka has dual nationality. His nationality is American-Nigerian.

Educational background

After his elementary studies in a local school, the former basketball player joined Jefferson High School in Portland. Upon graduation, he enrolled at the University of San Francisco.

Later, he transferred to Portland State University, where he played basketball for the Portland State Vikings.

Career

The athlete started his basketball career at Jefferson High School in Portland. He later joined the State Vikings at Portland State University.

His professional career started at the National Basketball Development League after being picked in the 2002 NBDL Draft. He had a brief stint in Europe before returning to the NBDL. In 2005, he was drafted third overall by the Fort Worth Flyers.

In April 2006, he was signed by the New York Knicks. In 2007, he signed a contract with the San Antonio Spurs. Below is an overview of his career stats in the regular seasons.

Year

Team

Games played

Minutes per game

Points per game

2003 - 04

L.A. Lakers

4

7.0

2.0

2005 - 06

New York Knicks

8

14.3

2.8

2006 - 07

Portland Trail Blazers

75

28.6

8.4

2007 - 08

San Antonio Spurs

73

18.0

5.8

2008 - 09

San Antonio Spurs

67

15.4

4.3

2009 - 10

Sacramento Kings

69

13.7

3.6

2010 - 11

San Antonio Spurs

20

6.5

0.7

Coaching career

Udoka started his coaching career in August 2012 when he joined the San Antonio Spurs as an assistant coach. He won his first championship as the Spurs defeated the Miami Heat in the 2014 NBA Finals.

In June 2019, he became the assistant coach of the Philadelphia 76ers. On 30th October 2020, the Brooklyn Nets hired him as an assistant coach.

On 28th June 2021, the athlete was hired as head coach of the Boston Celtics. He became the fifth head coach of African origin in the history of the Boston Celtics.

What is Ime Udoka's net worth in 2022?

The former basketball player has a net worth of $6 million. During his NBA career, the Bolton Celtics coach earned a little under $4 million in total salary.

His highest-paid seasons were 2007 - 08 and 2008 - 09 when he earned $1 million in both years. As head coach of the Boston Celtics, Ime Udoka's salary is $3 million annually under a four-year contract.

boston celtics coach
Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka against the Miami Heat during the second quarter. Photo: @Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

Who is Ime Udoka's wife?

The basketball coach is not married. However, he is engaged to his long-term partner, Nia Long. Long is an American actress. The couple got engaged in June 2015. The couple has not revealed plans to get married soon.

How did Nia Long and Ime Udoka meet?

Ime Udoka and Nia Long first met in Boston in 2010. The two were in Boston for work and were introduced by a mutual friend. At the time, Long was filming a pilot for NBC, and Udoka was playing against the Boston Celtics.

They started dating in February 2010 and were inseparable. On 17th June 2011, the lovebirds announced they were expecting their first child together.

On 7th November 2011, the couple welcomed a son. His name is Kez Sunday Udoka. On 6th December 2020, Long revealed she and her fiancé might never marry.

Why does Ime Udoka wear a mask?

The main reason Udoka wears a face mask is to protect himself against COVID-19. He has been wearing a mask in all his games since the pandemic.

However, fans have expressed concern because he often wears underneath his chin. He pulls his mask down so often that fans struggle to understand why he wears it.

Controversy

On 21st September 2022, ESPN reported the coach violated a Boston Celtics organisational policy. It was revealed that he had an improper relationship with a female staff member.

The organisation issued a season-long suspension, keeping him off the court for the 2022-23 season. The coach issued an apology but did not resign from his position. Assistant coach Joe Mazzulla took his place as the interim head coach.

Stephen A. Smith explained he believed the reason Udoka was suspended and not fired was that the Boston Celtics did not want him to end up in Brooklyn.

How tall is Ime Udoka?

Boston Celtics coach is 6' 7" or 201 centimetres tall and weighs about 216 pounds or 98 kilograms. He has black hair and brown eyes.

Trivia

  • He does not have official social media pages.
  • His favourite Nigerian dish is doughy fufu with egusi soup.
  • His first name means patience in Japanese. His sister Mfon claimed it accurately captured his personality because he is unfazed and stoic.

Ime Udoka is a Nigerian-American professional basketball coach and former player. He is the head coach for the Boston Celtics of the NBA.

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Authors
Kevin Omuya photo
Kevin Omuya
Kevin Omuya is a Content Writer with 4 years of experience who joined Sports Brief in 2022. In 2019 he held a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism & Digital Media from KCA University.
Cyprine Apindi photo
Cyprine Apindi
Cyprine Apindi is a content creator and reporter with over 4 years of experience based in Kenya. She holds a Diploma in Mass Communication from Kenyatta University.