Ime Udoka
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| Position | Small forward |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Weight | 215 |
| League | NBA |
| Team | San Antonio Spurs |
| Jersey | #5 |
| Born | August 9, 1977 Portland, Oregon |
| Nationality |  American/ Nigerian |
| High school | Jefferson |
| College | Portland State |
| Draft | Undrafted, 2000 |
| Pro career | 2000–present |
| Former teams | Fargo-Moorhead Beez (2000-2001) Charleston Lowgators (2002-2004) Adirondack Wildcats (2003) Los Angeles Lakers (2004) Auna Gran Canaria (2004-2005) Vichy Auvergne (2005) Fort Worth Flyers (2005-2006) New York Knicks (2006) Portland Trail Blazers (2006-2007) |
| Awards | 2005-06 NBDL Joel Collier Sportsmanship Award[1] |
| Official profile | Info Page |
Ime Sunday Udoka (pronounced /ˈiːmeɪ juːˈdoʊkə/ EE-may you-DOE-kuh) (born August 9, 1977, in Portland, Oregon) is an American professional basketball player of partial Nigerian descent. He is currently a member of the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA.
Udoka, a small forward, attended Portland's Jefferson High School and Portland State University where he starred for the Vikings. He started his professional basketball career by playing in the NBDL with the Charleston Lowgators. He was called up to play with the Los Angeles Lakers on January 14, 2004, but was later waived and joined another D-League team, the Fort Worth Flyers, for whom he averaged 17.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.[1] On April 6, 2006, Udoka was signed by the New York Knicks. Udoka was waived by the Knicks on September 11, 2006.
Udoka was the last player invited to his hometown Portland Trail Blazers training camp before the 2006-07 season, getting the invite only after Aaron Miles failed a physical. Despite the death of his father during the preseason,[2] Udoka impressed the coaching staff with his defense and professionalism, and improbably, made the team.[3] After having played in only 12 NBA games in his career, Udoka started in 75 games played in the 2006-07 season. He played 28.6 minutes per game while averaging 8.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 0.9 steals.
Though American-born, Udoka's father was born in Nigeria,[2] which qualified him as a member of the Nigerian basketball squad, for whom he played at the 2006 FIBA World Championships. His older sister Mfon used to play in the WNBA. His mother is American.[citation needed]
On August 16, 2007 Udoka signed a contract with the San Antonio Spurs. Terms were not disclosed,[4] but it is believed to be a two-year deal worth more than $2 million.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/stories/MYSA081407.Spurs.Udoka.en.35bc859.html Spurs: Udoka agrees to contract
- ^ a b Former Viking Ime Udoka Makes His Way In The NBA, published Feb. 14, 2007
- ^ Quick, Jason. "Blazers set roster, and Udoka is on team". The Oregonian, October 27, 2006. [1]
- ^ Spurs add Blazers' sniper Udoka, August 16, 2007
[edit] External links
- NBA.com playerfile
- Ime Udoka Statistics at Basketball-Reference.com
- Ime Udoka Unofficial Fansite
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