Related Post
Nia Long, ex-wife of NBA coach Ime Udoka, has filed for primary custody of the couple’s child, claiming he his failing to support his son.
The actress and Udoka had been engaged but split last year after it emerged that the former Boston Celtics coach had an improper relationship with a fellow staffer, previously revealed as team service manager Kathleen Nimmo Lynch by DailyMail.com.
Long filed her petition in Los Angeles last week, requesting a judge to give her primary legal and physical custody of their 11-year-old son, Kez, according to TMZ.
She claimed that Udoka was failing to support Kez, but reportedly did ask the judge to allow him a reasonable opportunity to visit his son as long as it was ‘consistent with the child’s best interest.’
A ruling on the petition has yet to be handed down, while Udoka has not responded.
Nia Long, ex-wife of NBA coach Ime Udoka, has filed for primary custody of the couple’s son
Long and the ex-couple’s son, Kez, moved back to Los Angeles after Udoka was suspended
DailyMail.com revealed the Celtics employee who had an affair with coach Ime Udoka, 45, is team service manager Kathleen Nimmo Lynch, 34
On September 23, 2022 Udoka was suspended by the Celtics for the entire 2022-23 season for the improper relationship with Lynch, which ultimately cost him his job as acting head coach Joe Mazzulla was given the job on a permanent basis in February.
Udoka had a consensual affair with a female staff member within the Celtics organization. The staffer was married with three children when the scandal broke, while Udoka was engaged to Long.
ESPN reported that an independent investigation revealed Udoka ‘used crude language in his dialogue with a female subordinate prior to the start of an improper workplace relationship.’
She served as a team liaison arranging travel, lodging and game tickets for Celtics family members at home and on the road. It is likely that she even arranged travel for Long.
The actress, who has starred in Boyz n the Hood, has since reportedly moved back to LA with their son.
However, despite his reputation left in tatters, it didn’t take long for Udoka to land back in the NBA.
The Rockets announced the 45-year-old defensive guru as their newest head coach in April, signing him to a four-year, $28.5million deal, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Following his unveiling in April, Udoka said he and his son went to counseling ‘to help him improve in the situation that I put him in.’
Udoka and Rockets owner Tillman Fertitta smile as they speak to the media on Wednesday
Udoka and Long are pictured with their son Kez (center) and her son Massai Dorsey II (far right)
He added: ‘I released a statement months ago, when everything happened, and apologized to a lot of people for the tough position that I put them in, and I stand by that. I feel much more remorse, even now, towards that.
‘I spent this last offseason working on myself in a lot of different ways, improving in areas, a chance to sit back and reflect and grow, and I think that will make me a better coach and leader.
‘But, the situation’s been resolved, and I can’t really speak much about it.’
The Rockets team owner Tilman Feetitta said he had done his diligence on Udoka before hiring him on a lucrative deal.
Udoka added: ‘Like Tilman alluded to, they’ve done their homework on who I am as a person, and I think that we spent quality time together and getting to know each other and clicked pretty easily and pretty well.’
