Udoka Eyes Coaching Job

Nigeria’s best player to the last Africa Cup of Nations; 2011 Afrobasket in Antananarivo, Madagascar, Ime Udoka, hopes to go into coaching once his playing career comes to an end.

Udoka, disclosed that he would be joining Spanish league side, UCAM Murcia, a team battling relegation. He is a veteran shooting guard with several years of NBA experience with the Los Angeles Lakers, New York, Portland, San Antonio and Sacramento.

While speaking with the official website of World basketball ruling body, FIBA.com, Udoka, who was an all-tournament selection at last year’s Afrobasket, said that once his playing career ends he would like to try out coaching.

“Coaching, for sure,” he said.

“The part that really got me thinking about it was that all the coaches I played for mentioned that they want me to coach with them when I’m done. So coaches (Gregg) Popovich (San Antonio), Nate McMillan (former Portland coach), Isaiah Thomas (former New York coach) said it.

“I’ve been doing coaching clinics for the past three summers with the NBA Players’ Association. So I’ve been kind of preparing myself for it. I’ve built some good relationships, so it should be an easier transition.”

Udoka is a player who has made the most of his abilities and worked under some bright tacticians.

He said: “My knowledge of the game – the way I play, I’m not the most athletic, not the fastest, so I have to think the game and that’s the approach I’ve always taken, so I can take that into coaching, I think.”

The father of one, who has his family based in Los Angeles, USA while plying his trade in Spain, said playing for Nigeria has meant a lot to him.

“My father kept telling us about it when I was growing up and my sister who played with the Nigerian team first (Mfon Udoka, played at Athens Olympics for Nigeria) told me how great it was.”

—Bamidele Olowosagba