While the Portland Trail Blazers are on the sidelines for this year’s NBA Finals, there’s a familiar face set to take center stage.
Portland-born coach and former Blazer Ime Udoka is four wins away from a championship. The ring would be Udoka’s second after winning a title as an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs back in 2014.
Udoka has a strong connection to the city. He was born in Portland months after the Blazers won the 1977 NBA championship and attended Jefferson High School in the area. His collegiate career took him to Utah State Eastern and the University of San Francisco, but he eventually returned to Portland, playing for Portland State in the 1999-2000 season.