"You sit back and think about 19 children and two adults who don’t get that" - Ime Udoka brings back attention to Texas shooting, mentions basketball is not about "life and death"

Ime Udoka became the first rookie head coach to win multiple Game 7s after the Boston Celtics beat the Miami Heat. [Photo: The Boston Globe]

Ime Udoka, who just led the Boston Celtics to a pulsating win over the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals, knows how to put things into perspective. The Celtics will celebrate, but they also have bigger things ahead of them as they face the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.

As the Celtics bask in their hard-earned achievement, it’s also not lost on Udoka that something heavy is affecting the outside world. The first-time head coach finally addressed the Robb Elementary School shooting, which resulted in the horrific deaths of 19 students and two teachers.

Here’s how Ime Udoka ended his press conference:

“You sit back and think about 19 children and two adults who don’t get that, that’s life or death, that’s real. That’s something that I don’t want to be forgotten…It just happened a week ago, and it seems to be pushed in people’s memory already.”

Ime Udoka puts things back into perspective and turns attention back to the tragedy in Uvalde, Texas. 💚 https://t.co/Isdnh3IfX5

The Boston Celtics were deep into their game plan against the top-seeded Miami Heat when one of the deadliest shootings on American soil happened. The event shook the nation, with several NBA players and coaches urging politicians to do what’s necessary to stop mounting gun-related violence.

Ime Udoka’s colleague and Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr had the most moving, logical and passionate call to do what’s right. His forceful speech, which went viral, spoke volumes of the frustration and dread of practically every American family:

“I’m fed up. I’ve had enough. …I want every person listening to this to think about your own child or grandchild or mother or father, sister, brother. How would you feel if this happened to you today?”

Steve Kerr on today's tragic shooting in Uvalde, Texas. https://t.co/lsJ8RzPcmC

Ime Udoka’s words weren’t nearly as moving or captivating, but they were real and kept the Boston Celtics’ win in perspective.

Ime Udoka’s coaching mettle will face an acid test against Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors

The Boston Celtics rookie head coach will have his hands full against the battle-tested and championship pedigree of Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. [Photo: NBC Sports]

Ime Udoka is in his first NBA Finals as a head coach. The man he will face has been on the NBA’s biggest stage in six of the last eight years with three championships to boost. Steve Kerr has been at the top or near the top of the league’s coaching hierarchy since handling the reins of the Golden State Warriors.

The Boston Celtics head coach will have his hands full trying to outcoach the leader of a team that has just blitzed the Dallas Mavericks in five games. Udoka will have sleepless nights trying to devise a game plan to keep Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole from exploding.

There’s only one team with a winning record vs the Warriors under Steve Kerr.

That team is the Boston Celtics. https://t.co/mAEk7ogKfc

Ime Udoka’s forte is in defense but his team struggled to contain Jimmy Butler, whose supporting cast is not nearly as good as Steph Curry’s teammates. How he tries to contain Steve Kerr’s motion offense and endless screens for the Warriors’ shooters will be one of the biggest questions in the NBA Finals.

Talking to some NBA coaches and here's what the say Ime Udoka's strengths are:

-"He's a connector. He'll build relationships, real ones, with everyone in the building very quickly."

-"Defense. He played in the league because of his defense. That's his calling card as a coach."

In his first postseason as head coach, Udoka has proven that he’s no pushover. He’s already beaten Mike Budenholzer of the Milwaukee Bucks and the multi-titled Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat. Leading the Boston Celtics to their 18th championship banner over Steve Kerr would be his biggest career achievement yet.