Ime Udoka
San Antonio Spurs | ||||||||||||||||||
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Position | Assistant coach | |||||||||||||||||
League | NBA | |||||||||||||||||
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||
Born | Portland, Oregon | August 9, 1977|||||||||||||||||
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 |
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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: | ||||||||||||||||||
Stats at NBA.com | ||||||||||||||||||
Stats at Basketball Reference | ||||||||||||||||||
Medals
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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
Udoka's father, who is of Akwa Ibom descent, was born in Nigeria,[4] which qualified Ime for Nigerian citizenship. He was 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
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
- ^ NBDL: 2003-03 NBDL Draft Board Archived 2007-08-15 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ NBA Development League: 2005 NBA D-League Draft Board Archived 2010-12-02 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2007-08-25. Retrieved 2007-08-14.
{{cite web}}
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suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Spurs: Udoka agrees to contract - ^ a b Former Viking Ime Udoka Makes His Way In The NBA Archived 2011-07-11 at the Wayback Machine, published Feb. 14, 2007
- ^ Quick, Jason. "Blazers set roster, and Udoka is on team". The Oregonian, October 27, 2006. [1]
- ^ Spurs add Blazers' sniper Udoka, August 16, 2007
- ^ Ime Udoka Profile Archived 2012-08-31 at the Wayback Machine on NBA.com
- ^ "Trail Blazers sign Ime Udoka" (Press release). Portland Trail Blazers. September 25, 2009.
- ^ Portland Waives Udoka And Collins Archived 2009-10-26 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Kings sign Udoka. Retrieved on November 4, 2009.
- ^ "Spurs sign Ime Udoka". spurs.com. San Antonio Spurs. 24 November 2010. Retrieved 24 November 2010.
- ^ "Spurs waive Ime Udoka". spurs.com. San Antonio Spurs. 5 January 2011. Retrieved 8 January 2011.
- ^ UCAM Murcia signs Ime Udoka, release Matt Walsh
- ^ Ime Udoka Joins Spurs Coaching Staff
- ^ LaMarcus Aldridge: Ime Udoka got the Spurs deal done
- ^ ESPN Nets Report, Dec. 15, 2011: "Udoka dealing with tragedy"
- ^ 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"
External links
- Career statistics from NBA.com and Basketball Reference
- Career statistics from NBA.com and Basketball Reference
- 1977 births
- Living people
- African-American basketball players
- American expatriate basketball people in France
- American expatriate basketball people in Spain
- American people of Nigerian descent
- Basketball players from Oregon
- American men's basketball players
- CB Gran Canaria players
- CB Murcia players
- Charleston Lowgators players
- Fort Worth Flyers players
- JA Vichy players
- Jefferson High School (Portland, Oregon) alumni
- Junior college men's basketball players in the United States
- Liga ACB players
- Los Angeles Lakers players
- New York Knicks players
- Nigerian men's basketball players
- Nigerian basketball coaches
- Portland State Vikings men's basketball players
- Portland Trail Blazers players
- Sacramento Kings players
- San Antonio Spurs players
- San Antonio Spurs assistant coaches
- San Francisco Dons men's basketball players
- Small forwards
- Sportspeople from Portland, Oregon
- Undrafted National Basketball Association players