Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka has made it clear that he isn’t afraid of anyone in the NBA, including the biggest stars.
On Sunday, Udoka and Golden State Warriors icon Steph Curry had a verbal back-and-forth that was caught on camera.
Following the game, Udoka spoke with the press and touched upon the exchange.
“When people start complaining about foul calls or crying about physicality, you’ve done your job. That’s the first step in winning the battle. So I told my team, when this team starts crying about it, up the intensity, up the aggressiveness, and make the refs adjust to you,” he said, per NBACentral.
Ime Udoka speaks on his exchange with Steph Curry
“When people start complaining about foul calls or crying about physicality, you’ve done your job. That’s the first step in winning the battle. So I told my team, when this team starts crying about it, up the intensity, up the… pic.twitter.com/zWNQeUng36
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 7, 2025
We won’t ever know what was said between these two, but it sounds like Curry wasn’t happy with foul calls and the physicality of the game.
But Udoka loved what he saw from his team.
He has instructed the Rockets to be intense and aggressive all season long.
Like Udoka, the team loves to get into the heads of their opponents and get under their skin.
They’re also not afraid of roughing someone up and becoming physical.
This doesn’t just throw opponents off their game, it also sets the tempo the way that Houston wants it.
So it’s all part of Udoka’s grand plan, and that plan has been working marvelously.
The Rockets are the second seed in the Western Conference, holding a 52-27 record and ready for the playoffs to begin.
No one knows what the postseason will look but the Rockets are sure to bring their brand of intense and in-your-face basketball and that could be just what they need to go far.
NEXT: Steve Kerr Has Honest Admission About Draymond Green’s Legacy With Warriors
