Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka was ejected from the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night after what appeared to be a disagreement with LeBron James, CBS Sports reports.
The men exchanged words in front of a referee, JT Orr, who gave both of them technical fouls. Udoka, who had already received a technical foul in the second quarter, was ejected from the game.
Both men were asked about the heated exchange in postgame interviews, but neither was forthcoming with details.
“We had some conversation, and they didn’t like what they heard,” Udoka said.
James took a humorous approach to his answer.
“Thanksgiving. How much we enjoyed Thanksgiving,” the All-Star champion quipped.
A clip surfaced on X, which picked up part of the conversation. James could be heard addressing Udoka.
“We’re all grown men here. That b*tch word ain’t cool…. don’t use that word so loosely.”
That wasn’t the only moment of friction in the game. Rocket forward Tari Eason and Lakers guard Cam Reddish also got into a squabble. Eason was attempting a free throw when Reddish walked into his chest.
“He walked into me and said something. I did not like it and wanted him to stand on it,” Eason told Sports Illustrated
James and the Lakers defeated the Rockets in a 107-97 victory. The Rockets have lost their eighth consecutive road game, making them the only NBA team that has yet to win a game away from home.
Udoka previously made headlines when he was involved in a public scandal while he was the head coach of the Boston Celtics. The coach, then engaged to actress Nia Long, was having an intimate relationship with a female employee.
“I want to apologize to our players, fans, the entire Celtics organization, and my family for letting them down,” Udoka said in a statement to ESPN’s Malika Andrews.
Despite his public apology, Udoka was suspended from the franchise in September 2022.
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