Celtics’ Head Coach Joe Mazzulla Shares His Perspective on Rockets Hiring Ime Udoka
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Monday, the Rockets made headlines, hiring former Celtics head coach Ime Udoka.
Houston has a lot to offer, including a young core featuring Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., and Alperen Sengun, brimming with potential. The Rockets are poised to add to that at the draft and are one of three teams with the highest odds (14 percent chance) of landing the first overall pick and the right to select Victor Wembanyama.
They also reside in a warm-weather city, and Texas has no state tax, two appealing attributes that help make it an attractive option for stars looking to change teams.
If Jaylen Brown decides he wants a change of scenery and the chance to be the top option somewhere, given the strong relationship he built with Udoka in Boston, the two-time All-Star joining him in Houston isn’t a prospect one should take lightly.
Regarding the Rockets’ investigation into the Celtics suspending Udoka for violations of team policies, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the following on Outside the Lines.
During Joe Mazzulla’s pregame media availability, the man who replaced Udoka, conveyed, “I’m happy for him in the sense that I think it’s important. Second chances are important. Grace is important. I’m a product of a second chance.”
Mazzulla’s referring to his arrests while a student-athlete at West Virginia, which includes a domestic battery charge for allegedly grabbing a woman by the neck at a bar.
When he first addressed the media after becoming the Celtics’ interim head coach, the Johnston, Rhode Island native stated, “I’ve made mistakes. I’m not perfect. I’ve hurt people, and I’ve had to use the situations I’ve put myself in as a younger man to become a better person.”
Brad Stevens expressed about Mazzulla making good on those words, growing into a different person than he was in college, “That shaped him into who he is today and (in) a good way. He is 110 percent accountable for that. I believe in him.”
Mazzulla came across as genuine at that presser and has only reinforced that throughout his first year as a head coach.
Udoka’s introductory press conference will likely be the first time he speaks publicly about what led to his suspension. It will be interesting to hear what he chooses to say. More important, of course, will be how he carries himself.
Further Reading
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