NBA fans reacted to Los Angeles Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal’s endorsement for Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka to win the Coach of the Year award for the 2025-26 season.
O’Neal endorsed Udoka for the award on Sunday’s episode of Inside the NBA after the rest of the panel asked him to name his pick.
“I’m going to go with Ime Udoka,” O’Neal said.
Shaquille O’Neal’s choice drew mixed reactions on social media, with fans both agreeing and disagreeing with his pick. Here are the most noteworthy reactions on X:
“I thought he was joking when he said it lol,” one fan said.
“For a guy that refuses to have any sort of offensive game plan, he sure does have an amazing pr,” another fan said.
“This once again, further proves that they don’t actually watch the sport they covet,” a fan wrote.
“Has had 3 years to coach this team and our offense is still “your turn my turn” with a** spacing,” another fan wrote.
“The immediate ‘oh my god,’ our franchise is in such shambles,” one fan commented.
The Houston Rockets finished the regular season holding fifth place in the Western Conference with a 52-30 record. They had the same record last season, but finished higher in the standings, grabbing second place in the West.
Shaquille O’Neal stepped back from commenting on Ime Udoka’s cheating scandal with the Boston Celtics
Ime Udoka was suspended by the Boston Celtics for the 2022-23 season after he was found to have had an improper affair at the workplace with a Celtics staffer. Udoka and his long-time girlfriend, Nia Long, subsequently split.
Addressing the situation in 2022, Shaquille O’Neal declined to comment, saying he had been in a similar position in the past.
“I was a serial cheater,” said O’Neal. “It would be crazy and blasphemous for me to get up here and say `boom, boom, bam.’ I can’t do that. I know these guys personally. I know they’re going through a lot because I went through a lot. I just wish certain parties weren’t involved. I’ve known Nia Long for a long time. I like her.”
O’Neal was married to Shaunie Henderson for seven years before the couple split in 2009 and finalized their divorce in 2011. The four-time champion has previously admitted to the divorce being his fault, blaming his infidelity.
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