"I've never locked him up" - Ime Udoka hilariously downplays himself after Kevin Durant’s shoutout on being clamped by Rockets coach

Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka downplayed Kevin Durant's praise for him on successfully defending him one-on-one. Viral clips of Udoka clamping Durant over a decade ago have resurfaced on social media. At the time, Udoka played for the San Antonio Spurs, while Durant suited up for the OKC Thunder.

Udoka played for the Spurs in three different periods of his career. This was in the 2007-08 season, the 2008-09 season, and the 2010-11 season. The viral clips of Udoka locking up Durant on defense could've been in one of those seasons as Durant started his NBA career in 2007.

During the 2025 NBA Summer League, Udoka was invited to join the broadcasters to provide his analysis on the game between the Rockets and Detroit Pistons. One of the broadcasters couldn't help but bring up the clips of Udoka clamping up Durant on defense back in the day. The throwback amused the Rockets coach, but he humorously turned down the idea.

"I've never locked up Kevin Durant," Udoka humorously said. "If he misses a shot it probably has nothing to do with a 6'5" guy trying to contest him."

Despite Ime Udoka's humility, Kevin Durant gave his head coach his flowers for doing a fantastic job on defense during the earlier years of his career.

"I ain’t gon lie it was a wrestling match, I looked over to the ref one time and he was like 'stop all that fuckin cryin,'" Durant wrote on X. "He was an OG so he sound like my uncle when he said, I had to lock in real quick."

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Jalen Green breaks silence on trade for Kevin Durant

The Rockets made a huge upgrade this offseason after acquiring Kevin Durant. Houston proved to be a worthy contender last season, securing the second seed in the Western Conference. While they lost against the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs, the Rockets pushed Steph Curry to their limits, forcing a Game 7 before elimination.

Getting a player like KD came with a hefty cost. Houston had to give up one of their stars, Jalen Green, to acquire Durant.

It was a shocking move considering how Green has played a prominent role in helping re-establish the Rockets as legitimate contenders. While the trade may come off as upsetting to some, Green took the trade well.

“Yeah, I had a feeling," Green said. "They’ve been trying to trade me since last year. I’m not tripping. It’s for the better of the team. I know it’s a business at the end of the day. I really can’t handle how I feel. Whatever happens, happens. At the end of the day, I still got the opportunity to play basketball.”

Jalen Green will now play alongside Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns next season. It'll be interesting to see how Durant will elevate a young Houston Rockets squad that showed a lot of promise last season.