When the Houston Rockets hired former Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka to replace Stephen Silas in April 2023, he had a clear and concise message for the young players on his team. At the time, they had only 23 seasons of combined NBA service.
Most members of his core group were at or near 21 years old, the minimum legal age to purchase an alcoholic beverage in the United States.
“Youth is not an excuse,” Udoka said when asked about his developmental plan for his young players. “Understanding that we’re going to take some lumps with our age and our youth, but my message to them will be that’s not an excuse.