Udoka targeting 13-year NBA veteran for Celtics coaching staff
Ime Udoka may have found another new assistant. As first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski on Pacific’s Damon Stoudamire is a target of the Boston Celtics to join new coach Ime Udoka’s staff, sources tell ESPN. Stoudamire is a former WCC coach of year and NBA Rookie of Year. He played 13 NBA seasons.
Stoudamire has been coaching in the college ranks since 2011. He was most recently the head coach of the Pacific Tigers in the Division-I West Coast Conference from 2016-2021, and earned WCC Coach of the Year honors in 2020. Stoudamire previously coached in the NBA for the Memphis Grizzlies from 2009-11.
As a player, Stoudamire played 878 games and scored 11,763 points with four different teams, mostly with the Portland Trail Blazers. He also played 53 career playoff games between the Blazers and Sacramento Kings. Stoudamire’s teams ran into the Kobe Bryant/Shaquille O’Neal Lakers or Tim Duncan Spurs in six of his seven playoff seasons.
Udoka also recently added former Spurs assistant Will Hardy as an assistant for the Celtics. Stoudamire’s hire sounds unofficial as of Woj’s tweet, but ostensibly will be, barring unforeseen circumstances.
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Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @mattydsays. You can also email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
