Ime Udoka
Photo by: Courtesy Portland State Athletics
Former Bobcat Basketball Star Nico Harrison and Portland State's Ime Udoka Represent Big Sky in NBA Conference Finals
5/17/2022 9:58:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Harrison earned All-Big Sky honors three times at MSU
BOZEMAN, Montana – The Big Sky Conference takes a portion of the NBA spotlight beginning Tuesday, when Boston and Miami begin their best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals series.
The Celtics, looking for the franchise's first NBA Finals appearance since 2009-10, are led by former Portland State star Ime Udoka. On Wednesday Dallas visits Golden State for Game One of the Western Conference Finals. Mavericks General Manager Nico Harrison, an all-conference forward at Montana State, is helping engineer Dallas' deepest playoff run since the 2010-11 squad won the World Championship.
Current Bobcat coach Danny Sprinkle, who played on MSU's 1995-96 Big Sky Championship squad with Harrison, easily pinpoints the skills that the Portland area native relies on in his current role. "Nico is so smart," Sprinkle says, "and he knows everyone in the NBA."
Udoka finished his Vikings career in 2000, playing one game against the Bobcats. He scored seven points and grabbed seven rebounds in that contest in Bozeman, one that then-Bobcat coach Mick Durham remembers. "He was a really talented player," Durham said. "I remember he fouled out of that game on a frustration foul."
Harrison moved into the Mavericks' top basketball operations job after a couple of decades as an executive at Nike, where he worked with players on product development and marketing opportunities. He was All-Big Sky at MSU during all three of his seasons at MSU, 1993-96, after transferring from West Point.
While Harrison spent much of his youth in Tigard, Oregon, outside of Portland, and graduated from Tigard High School, Udoka was born and raised in the Portland and graduated from Jefferson High. Both grew up in the city's basketball community.
Long-time NBA writer Steve Luhm isn't surprised that Portland has proven such fertile grounds for the league's future leaders. "Portland has been a great basketball town since the Bill Walton days and continuing with some great teams in the 1990s. It had to have an impact on young local kids' interest in the game and development as players.'
In less than one full NBA season, Udoka has given the folks on the Park Blocks plenty to be proud of. The latest moment came on Sunday afternoon when he led his Boston Celtics team to a game-seven victory over the defending NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks. Udoka's team now takes on the Miami Heat – ironically enough, led by another Portland native, Eric Spoelstra - in the Eastern Conference Finals beginning on Tuesday night.
Last July, Udoka was named the new Head Coach of the most storied franchise in NBA history. That was the next step for the Rose City native in a basketball odyssey that started on Portland blacktops as a youth, progressed to Jefferson High School, and to Portland State.
In his first season as a Head Coach, Udoka led the Celtics to 51 victories, was twice named NBA Coach of the Month, and has now knocked off the defending champions. He has Boston one step away from another NBA Finals appearance in its quest for the organization's 18th NBA title.
"This is an incredible opportunity and accomplishment for Coach Udoka," said PSU men's basketball head coach Jase Coburn. "It is so awesome to follow and watch the success that one of Portland State's own has had this year. His hard work and dedication to working his way up has been inspiring to see for our whole community."
Days before Udoka moved to the lead role on the Celtics bench, Harrison took the helm of the Mavericks as President and General Manager. After graduating from Tigard High, Harrison spent a year at Army before transferring to Montana State. He earned two Arthur Ashe Awards, became MSU's only three-time First Team All-Big Sky selection, and earned CoSIDA Academic All-America honors.
Harrison played professional basketball internationally for five years, and in 2002 joined Nike as a regional field representative working with NBA players. He advanced professionally with that company, eventually becoming Vice President of North American Basketball Operations.
"Nico put in a lot of work at Nike," Sprinkle said. "He was one of the top people there and his relationships with so many NBA players made him attractive to NBA organizations. I think the opportunity to work with Mark Cuban and a group of good young players led by Luka (Doncic) was really attractive to him."
Sprinkle said that one of the most impressive elements of Harrison's rise from corporate executive to NBA general manager was leaving the comfort and success he'd built over two decades. "I'm most proud of the huge leap of faith from his standpoint. He had built his career at Nike into a really good thing, and now he's starting a new part of his professional career."
While Harrison took an unconventional route to the NBA, Udoka followed a more conventional path. After playing at his hometown university his career took him to the NBDL and Europe, and he eventually played in 316 NBA games for the Lakers, Knicks, Blazers and Spurs. Following his playing career, Udoka spent nine seasons as an assistant coach in the NBA, the majority of which came under Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs.
Luhm, now retired from the Salt Lake Tribune, said that this time of year is pinnacle of the profession for each of the Big Sky's first-year professionals in their current roles. "When the playoffs reach this point, the intensity on every possession is really amazing. Great athletes. High stakes. Extreme motivation. These guys find themselves on the threshold of the pinnacle of their profession – the NBA Finals. A lot of great players and coaches never get to a conference final. So I hope they can put aside the obviously high stakes briefly and enjoy the moment."
#GoCatsGo
The Celtics, looking for the franchise's first NBA Finals appearance since 2009-10, are led by former Portland State star Ime Udoka. On Wednesday Dallas visits Golden State for Game One of the Western Conference Finals. Mavericks General Manager Nico Harrison, an all-conference forward at Montana State, is helping engineer Dallas' deepest playoff run since the 2010-11 squad won the World Championship.
Current Bobcat coach Danny Sprinkle, who played on MSU's 1995-96 Big Sky Championship squad with Harrison, easily pinpoints the skills that the Portland area native relies on in his current role. "Nico is so smart," Sprinkle says, "and he knows everyone in the NBA."
Udoka finished his Vikings career in 2000, playing one game against the Bobcats. He scored seven points and grabbed seven rebounds in that contest in Bozeman, one that then-Bobcat coach Mick Durham remembers. "He was a really talented player," Durham said. "I remember he fouled out of that game on a frustration foul."
Harrison moved into the Mavericks' top basketball operations job after a couple of decades as an executive at Nike, where he worked with players on product development and marketing opportunities. He was All-Big Sky at MSU during all three of his seasons at MSU, 1993-96, after transferring from West Point.
While Harrison spent much of his youth in Tigard, Oregon, outside of Portland, and graduated from Tigard High School, Udoka was born and raised in the Portland and graduated from Jefferson High. Both grew up in the city's basketball community.
Long-time NBA writer Steve Luhm isn't surprised that Portland has proven such fertile grounds for the league's future leaders. "Portland has been a great basketball town since the Bill Walton days and continuing with some great teams in the 1990s. It had to have an impact on young local kids' interest in the game and development as players.'
In less than one full NBA season, Udoka has given the folks on the Park Blocks plenty to be proud of. The latest moment came on Sunday afternoon when he led his Boston Celtics team to a game-seven victory over the defending NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks. Udoka's team now takes on the Miami Heat – ironically enough, led by another Portland native, Eric Spoelstra - in the Eastern Conference Finals beginning on Tuesday night.
Last July, Udoka was named the new Head Coach of the most storied franchise in NBA history. That was the next step for the Rose City native in a basketball odyssey that started on Portland blacktops as a youth, progressed to Jefferson High School, and to Portland State.
In his first season as a Head Coach, Udoka led the Celtics to 51 victories, was twice named NBA Coach of the Month, and has now knocked off the defending champions. He has Boston one step away from another NBA Finals appearance in its quest for the organization's 18th NBA title.
"This is an incredible opportunity and accomplishment for Coach Udoka," said PSU men's basketball head coach Jase Coburn. "It is so awesome to follow and watch the success that one of Portland State's own has had this year. His hard work and dedication to working his way up has been inspiring to see for our whole community."
Days before Udoka moved to the lead role on the Celtics bench, Harrison took the helm of the Mavericks as President and General Manager. After graduating from Tigard High, Harrison spent a year at Army before transferring to Montana State. He earned two Arthur Ashe Awards, became MSU's only three-time First Team All-Big Sky selection, and earned CoSIDA Academic All-America honors.
Harrison played professional basketball internationally for five years, and in 2002 joined Nike as a regional field representative working with NBA players. He advanced professionally with that company, eventually becoming Vice President of North American Basketball Operations.
"Nico put in a lot of work at Nike," Sprinkle said. "He was one of the top people there and his relationships with so many NBA players made him attractive to NBA organizations. I think the opportunity to work with Mark Cuban and a group of good young players led by Luka (Doncic) was really attractive to him."
Sprinkle said that one of the most impressive elements of Harrison's rise from corporate executive to NBA general manager was leaving the comfort and success he'd built over two decades. "I'm most proud of the huge leap of faith from his standpoint. He had built his career at Nike into a really good thing, and now he's starting a new part of his professional career."
While Harrison took an unconventional route to the NBA, Udoka followed a more conventional path. After playing at his hometown university his career took him to the NBDL and Europe, and he eventually played in 316 NBA games for the Lakers, Knicks, Blazers and Spurs. Following his playing career, Udoka spent nine seasons as an assistant coach in the NBA, the majority of which came under Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs.
Luhm, now retired from the Salt Lake Tribune, said that this time of year is pinnacle of the profession for each of the Big Sky's first-year professionals in their current roles. "When the playoffs reach this point, the intensity on every possession is really amazing. Great athletes. High stakes. Extreme motivation. These guys find themselves on the threshold of the pinnacle of their profession – the NBA Finals. A lot of great players and coaches never get to a conference final. So I hope they can put aside the obviously high stakes briefly and enjoy the moment."
#GoCatsGo
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