Los Angeles Lakers clinched victory against Houston Rockets 107-97 before the two teams cross paths again in January 2024. More than the team encounter, the fans will remember the match for the encounter between the teammates. LeBron James and Houston coach Ime Udoka had a verbal exchange that sent shockwaves to nearby spectators. As a result, LeBron received a technical, and Udoka was ejected for he had received a technical earlier as well.

The two in the media interaction didn’t detail their alteration. However, the feud has roots long back in the past.

LeBron-Ime tensions in the past

During the media interaction, the two didn’t specify their alteration. James tried to play it down by saying, “How much we enjoyed Thanksgiving.” On the other hand, Udoka too remained tight-lipped while saying, “The refs didn’t like what they heard.” But a glimpse into the past can reveal the bitterness between the two.  When Udoko played as a free agent for Blazsers the two had participated in eight encounters. The clips from the matches give some idea of the two trying hard to battle against each other.

One may speculate that Ime was trying hard to make a name for himself as defended. In a similar vein, one can interpret that James was trying hard to spoil all the chances of his opponent. What happened years back could have busted on the scene recently.

LeBron James gets coach Ime Udoka ejected

The Lakers were constantly pushing the Rockets who otherwise are not known for their physicality. This got the Houston coach frustrated. He picked a technical when Cam Reddish fouled Tari Eason. As Eason walked for the free throw to the line, Reddish walked into him and brushed against him. The two were separated before things could go ugly. LeBron was trying hard for technical on Eason.

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This infuriated the coach of the Rockets who shot at LeBron asking him to “stop crying like bi*ches“. As LeBron protested and told him he should not be using the word loosely, James went to him. The Houston coach again called him a soft a*s boy before the Lakers star upped his ante. The spectators nearby showed shocking facial expressions as LeBron began reacting to the Houston coach. Udoka was ejected after receiving a second technical.  The never-before-seen scenes in the NBA have a history of animosity between the two.

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