Public opinion on the Astros could ultimately hinge on this
SPORTSMAP ROUNDTABLE
11 March 2020
Something the Astros can do to quiet the national media's narrative about them is to get off to a good start by winning a lot of ballgames.
ESPN 97.5's John Granato, Raheel Ramzanali, and Lance Zierlein discuss how important a fast start is for the Astros, and if that will even be enough to silence their doubters.
Coach Ime Udoka has agreed to a contract extension with the Houston Rockets, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal hadn’t been announced. No details on the terms of the contract were available.
The move comes after Udoka led the Rockets to the second-best record in the Western Conference this season and their first playoff berth since the 2019-20 season. Houston made a remarkable turnaround in his two seasons in charge after being among the worst teams in the NBA the three seasons before his hiring.
The Rockets, who won just 42 games combined in the two seasons before Udoka was hired, went 41-41 in his first season before going 52-30 this season for their first winning record since 2019-20. Houston lost to the Golden State Warriors in seven games in the first round of the playoffs this season.
Udoka led the Boston Celtics to the NBA Finals in 2022, then was suspended for the following season after the disclosure of an inappropriate relationship with a female Celtics employee.
The 47-year-old was hired in April 2023 to replace Stephen Silas, who was fired after three losing seasons.
ESPN was first to report the contract extension.
