Udoka's Fall & Rise: Celtics' Loss, Rockets' Gain

0:00It's April 20th. Welcome to Boston Celtics News Today, AI-powered coverage of your squad. I may Udoka burst onto the scene as head coach for the Boston Celtics, turning a rough 18-win 21 lost start into their first NBA Finals. Trip in 12 years. They grabbed the 2-1 lead, but dropped the series to Golden State in 6 games. It looked like the start of a dynasty was star as Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown leading the charge. In the offseason hit hard with the bombshow, Udoka got suspended for a full season over an improper relationship with the female staffer, breaking team. Rules. His fiance, actress Neal Long, took the biggest hit they'd been together since 2015 with an 11-year-old son. She called off the engagement but said they're co-parenting for the kid. The league showed its business side quick, treating Udoka like damaged goods to protect the brand. Udoka stayed away at first, but the Houston Rockets rolled the dice, hiring him after their previous coach couldn't get it done.

1:00In Houston, Udoka wasted no time, lifting a squad from last season's mediocrity to the number 2 seed in the tough Western Conference. Meanwhile, his Celtics replacement, Joe Mazula, built on that foundation to snag the 2024 title. Udoka's coaching smarts are elite, no doubt, but those off-court choices cost him big time, and the Celtics public handling turned a family mess into. Front page drama. Still, he's proving his worth, where it counts now.