Must C’s: Celtics shower Ime Udoka after coach’s first win

It wasn’t exactly Paul Pierce showering Doc Rivers with Gatorade at the end of Game 6 of the 2008 NBA Finals, but after head coach Ime Udoka got his first win as the Celtics head coach, the team gave him the game ball and congratulated him in the locker room.

“It’s special. I just got a water shower in there from the guys and the game ball. I told them it’s overdue. You took too long to get it. I thank Romeo and Jaylen for helping being as they sat out tonight. It’s good to get a win, not only our first, but to get us rolling and on the right foot,” Udoka said after the game.

Udoka is the franchise’s 18th head coach in its storied history, ironically chasing after it’s 18th banner. With his first win, he now trails the legend Red Auerbach who coached the Celtics for sixteen seasons by 794 and his boss Brad Stevens (4th behind Tommy Heinsohn and Doc Rivers) by 353.

“It was dope. That was a historic win for him and his first of many. He’s not only been a great mentor to me, but a great person, a great coach the moment he walked through the door,” Grant Williams said. “We all think highly of him and we’re fortunate to have him here. We wanted to show him that love and respect that he deserves as a head coach that gets his first win in the NBA.”