“We are excited to add someone with his potential to our coaching staff.”

Early on his life as a coach, Udoka was delivering on exactly what Popovich expected when he hired the former player. Popovich’s comment on Udoka in 2015 is worth a look in Boston as Udoka takes that next step in his career.

That being said, Udoka is wise enough to know that Popovich cannot be emulated.

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“I would always emphasize in the meetings, ‘I learned a ton under Pop and been blessed to see what he does, but I’m not Pop. I’m my own person,'” Udoka said in 2019.