Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta asked fans for forgiveness Wednesday when he introduced the team’s new head coach, Emi Odoka, who was suspended and then fired by the Boston Celtics over the past year for violating the team’s unspecified policies.
Fertita said that any critic who did not wish to give Odoka a second chance “wasn’t a good Christian person”.
The Celtics suspended Odoka for the 2022-23 NBA season in September, then fired him in February, after he had an affair with a female subordinate, according to a person familiar with the situation who was not authorized to discuss it publicly.
At the introductory press conference in Houston, Odoka made his first public comments since leaving the Celtics, who refused to specify which policies he had violated. Udoka was surrounded by Fertita and Rockets general manager Raphael Stone, who also declined to provide details about what they knew, including whether they had seen the report from the Celtics investigation.
“What I would say is that we felt comfortable that it was an appropriate hire and that we were comfortable in the process,” Stone said. “But in the same way, I wouldn’t talk about exactly what we did with anyone else, I wouldn’t talk about it with Ime. It’s just that, in my opinion, it’s not appropriate.”
Udoka said he has been “working on myself in many different ways”, including undergoing counseling and sensitivity training, and that he would be a better person, leader, father and coach as a result.
“I issued a statement months ago when it all happened, and I apologized to many people for the difficult situation I put them in,” Udoka said. “And I support that and feel even more regrets about it now.”
“But the situation – the matter – has been resolved and I can’t say much about it,” he added.
Fertitta said he was particularly comfortable with Odoka’s hiring after talks with the NBA. “We’re a tolerant society and everybody makes mistakes, you know, some things, maybe we shouldn’t forgive people,” he said. “But I think what happened and his personal situation is definitely something to be forgiven.”
In a meeting with sports editors Tuesday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said it was okay for teams to hire Udoka, though he said he didn’t know if Houston officials had seen the investigation report.
Asked if the Celtics made the right decision in disciplining him, Odoka said, “My role in that was to take charge and be held accountable.”
“I worked it out and I had to own it, honestly,” said Udoka. “So, the same thing I will preach to men. I can’t sit here and not take responsibility for myself. So it was their right to do it however they wanted. And that’s the choice they made.”
Play Udoka Seven seasons in the NBA, mostly as a reserve, before becoming a respected assistant coach for Almost a decade. The Celtics hired him to be their head coach prior to the 2021-22 season. His first and only season with Boston was successful: he helped lead the Celtics to the NBA Finals, where they lost to Golden State. Now, he will take charge of a Rockets team that has been one of the worst teams in the league for the past three years. But Houston has plenty of salary space at its disposal, talented young players and highly valued draft picks.