Ime Udoka, head coach of the Houston Rockets, was ejected from the team’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday after exchanging words with LeBron James. The two were issued technical fouls and Udoka was ultimately ejected from the game, having already received a technical foul in the second quarter.
Neither party was willing to disclose the details of their exchange.
“We had some conversation and [the refs] didn’t like what they heard,” Udoka said.
James joked that it was a friendly chat and that they were discussing “how much we enjoyed Thanksgiving.”
In the fourth quarter, the Rockets were on a fastbreak when Alperen Sengun made a move that the Lakers believed was a travel violation. However, the possession ended with free throws for Tari Eason, and during the break, Udoka took the opportunity to share his thoughts with James, which led to both of them receiving technical fouls.
Footage from a fan shows James apparently telling Udoka “don’t use that word so loosely.”
Another video posted online purporting to have leaked audio seems to capture Udoka using the word “b—-.” This aligns with James’ warning about using a word loosely, especially given his past reaction to Draymond Green using it during the 2016 NBA Finals.
After the Lakers secured a comfortable 10-point win over the Rockets, Udoka, likely frustrated with his team’s winless road record, poor performance, and clash with James, expressed his frustration towards his team.
“To kind of get punked by a team that’s not known for physicality or punking people is not a good sign,” Udoka commented.
The Lakers dominated in the paint all game, outscoring the Rockets 54-34 and earning 27 free throws.
With their third consecutive loss, the Rockets dropped to 10th place in the Western Conference with an 8-9 record for the season. They are still the only team in the league without a road win; even the Detroit Pistons, who have lost 17 games in a row, have managed to win away from home.
