WATCH: LeBron James and Rockets coach Ime Udoka jaw it out as the latter gets ejected
Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka failed to finish their game against the LA Lakers on Saturday after he was ejected in the fourth quarter following a verbal altercation with LeBron James.
Sportskeeda’s Mark Medina posted about the incident on X (formerly Twitter), saying that the two went at it and were both assessed technical afterward. It was Udoka’s second for the game and thus, he was tossed out.
Medina wrote:
“After Cam Reddish was T'd up, LeBron James and Ime Udoka both get technicals. Udoka ejected after already getting T'd up earlier.”
Check out what went down between James and Udoka below:
The Lakers were going for a rebound victory against the Rockets after suffering a 133-110 loss at the hands of the OKC Thunder on Thursday.
They delivered on it, defeating Houston 107-97 to take their record to 12-9 in the ongoing NBA season. Anthony Davis led the way in the win with 27 points and 14 rebounds while James ended with 16 points and seven assists.
The Rockets, meanwhile, dropped their third straight game and fell to 8-9 for the season.
Ime Udoka finds a willing employer in the Houston Rockets
After his stay with the Boston Celtics ended unceremoniously over his alleged intimate relationship with a female member of the team staff, Ime Udoka found a willing employer in the Houston Rockets in the offseason.
The Rockets management, however, did it in consultation with league officials.
Team owner Tilman Fertitta, in a press conference after the hiring of Udoka, shared that they felt comfortable getting the former player-turned-coach with guidance from the NBA.
Fertitta said, in particular, that after seeing the coach serve his year-long suspension and how he was a solid candidate for the position in Houston, it was already an easy process for them.
He said:
“The NBA told me they felt comfortable with Ime as coach of the Rockets. It was one person we felt that was an exceptional candidate to take us to the next level."
"He is everything the Rockets are looking for. We did so much due diligence on this individual. He’s going to hold these guys to toughness, respectability and accountability."
In Houston, Udoka took over from Stephen Silas and is now tasked with leading the team back to league respectability. He is currently working on its young assets like Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson, and Alperen Sengun, as well as veterans Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks.