Rockets Coach Ime Udoka Ejected After Altercation With LeBron

The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Houston Rockets 107-97 Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena. But the big story of the night was an interaction between Rockets coach Ime Udoka and LeBron James.

With 8:35 left in the fourth quarter, things got tense when Lakers forward Cam Reddish bumped Rockets forward Tari Eason. During the stoppage in play, Udoka and James began chatting, and refs gave them both a technical foul. Because it was Udoka's second tech, he got tossed.

"We had some conversation, and they didn't like what they heard," Udoka said.

He referred to LeBron simply as "the player."

Udoka was unhappy with the game as a whole. Houston led 30-25 after the first quarter before getting outscored 35-14 in the second. The Rockets won the second half, but it wasn't enough to overcome the deficit.

Ime Udoka Frustrated After Saturday's Loss

Udoka, who is in his first season as Houston's head coach, took a slight shot at the Lakers after the game.

"I didn't like our physicality," Udoka said. "To kind of get punked by a team that's not known for physicality or punking people is not a good sign."

With the win, the Lakers advanced to 12-9 on the season. James finished with 16 points, seven assists, four rebounds, one steal and one block. After the game, he offered even less insight into his interaction with Udoka.

When reporters asked LeBron what he and Udoka were chirping about, the four-time NBA MVP answered, "how much we enjoyed Thanksgiving."

While they definitely weren't talking about turkey and mashed potatoes, the two do go way back. As a former NBA player, Udoka played against LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers more than a decade ago. James went 6–2 against Udoka's teams from the 2007–10 seasons.

The Rockets and Lakers next face off Jan. 29. Udoka and James will have plenty to discuss — you know, with Christmas and New Year's and all.

Follow Amber on X at @TheAmberHarding or email her at Amber.Harding@OutKick.com.