The Brooklyn Nets have been an absolute rollercoaster this year. One turn in the ride was the team looking to hire the suspended Ime Udoka as their new head coach. However, the Nets decided to keep interim head coach Jacque Vaughn in the position. Now there are questions to be answered about why Udoka was not hired by Brooklyn.
Ime Udoka’s Candidacy
On November 1, the Nets and then-head coach Steve Nash parted ways after a 2-5 start to the season. Vaughn, an assistant on Nash’s staff, takes over as the interim coach for their game against Chicago that night. Shortly after, rumors began to swirl about the Nets being interested in Ime Udoka, the former Boston Celtics coach. Udoka was suspended from the team for the 2022-23 season for violating team policies. The suspension stemmed from an inappropriate relationship with a female Celtics employee.
It was soon reported that the Nets planned to hire Udoka, with Boston allowing him out of his contract. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on November 1st that the hire could be made within 24-48 hours.
The Brooklyn Nets plan to hire Ime Udoka as their new head coach, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Boston granted the Nets permission to speak to Udoka and will allow him to leave freely, sources said. https://t.co/lFeHY8hUiS
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 1, 2022
Why Was He Not Hired?
It was a surprise to many that the Nets were considering hiring Ime Udoka. But it may be more of a surprise that the team reneged on their initial decision and stuck with Vaughn. It begs the question of what led to the Brooklyn Nets franchise to not hire Udoka.
The decision was not one of impulse. Over the weekend, ESPN’s Marc Stein reported that some “strong voices” were trying to convince owner Joe Tsai not to hire him. In addition, the Nets had already been dealing with turmoil in the organization for months. Most recently, the team has been dealing with the fallout from Kyrie Irving promoting an antisemitic film on his Instagram, and his refusal to apologize. As a result, Irving was suspended from the team indefinitely by Tsai. Thus, the potential of a public and private outcry may have played a role in not moving forward with Udoka. On the court, the Nets are 2-2 with Vaughn and have been credited for keeping the team stable.
League sources say there have been some “strong voices” urging Joe Tsai to back off the Nets’ intent to hire suspended Celtics coach Ime Udoka as Steve Nash’s successor given the considerable turmoil Brooklyn has already faced this season.
More to come: https://t.co/LGN9cVpMwn
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) November 7, 2022
“Jacque’s basketball acumen, competitiveness, and intimate knowledge of our team and organization make him the clear-cut best person to lead our group moving forward,” general manager Sean Marks said in a statement. “He has a proven ability to get the best out of our players, hold them accountable, and play a cohesive, team-first style of basketball.”
The Nets have named Jacque Vaughn head coach. Thus ends the Ime Udoka saga. pic.twitter.com/mDkZCkyzCw
— Howard Beck (@HowardBeck) November 9, 2022
It remains to be seen what happens to Ime Udoka’s coaching career. He is still suspended for the season, and still under contract with the Boston Celtics. But while he was considered for this position, it cannot be a good sign for his future in the NBA
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