For some coaches, emotion is part of their courtside demeanor. But for Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka, a more level-headed approach to the game is his preferred approach most night, particularly when facing teams he has a history with as a player or an assistant coach.
So as his Celtics roster geared up with a pre-game practice ahead of their tilt with the San Antonio Spurs — a team with which Udoka has a past as both a player and an assistant under Gregg Popovich — the new Boston coach downplayed how much he’d been thinking about the past now that he is returning to where he first started carving out a career for himself on this side of the clipboard while speaking with the press.
“I’ve talked about it a little bit (in the past),” explained Udoka. “It’s game-by-game, honestly.”
The odds are long, but the return could be huge. https://t.co/klPwSlALDA
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) November 26, 2021
“I think someone pointed out to me (this could be seen as) a revenge tour with (the) Brooklyn (Nets, Philadelphia 76ers and) San Antonio coming up, but I don’t look at it like that,” suggested the Portland native.
“I think at some point, I’ll look down at Pop and think some on being on the opposing sideline, but not much more than that. Until that point, try to keep the game my game. And that’s the honest truth to the way I feel about it. I’m not big on nostalgia moments and sentimental things and all that.”
“So, it’s another game we need to win and improve on and that’s the way I look at it,” Udoka finished.
Whether you believe so or not, he shouldn’t put his health at risk to dispel the notion. https://t.co/ue3tuncaSE
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) November 26, 2021
The proof of course will be in the pudding, as we have already seen the former Spurs assistant lose his cool and get a tech against the last team he coached for before taking over Boston’s head spot.
But with the Spurs dealing with a spate of injuries of their own and possessing one of the West’s worst records, it may be an easier test than the last such meeting was.
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The former Cal-Berkeley player knows his team’s strengths. https://t.co/L5q69Qze7R
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) November 26, 2021
