When Udoka finally landed with the Trail Blazers in 2006, it was the break he needed and the start of a productive career that included two seasons and part of a third with the San Antonio Spurs. He also jumped at an opportunity when Nike marketing manager Nico Harrison set aside a few dollars for Udoka to start an AAU team, Memory said. It was something Udoka had been talking about doing with his friends for years, and now they could do it. (Harrison is now the general manager of the Dallas Mavericks.)
At the time, AAU basketball was known as a breeding ground for well-funded street-ball games. Udoka, however, was going to do things his way, which meant the hard way.
“We were never just going to throw the balls over there,” Udoka said. “We were going to teach them how to play. Structure, discipline, defense – these are all things I have insisted on. And that’s how I was as a player.
Memory and Williams handled the X’s and O’s — Udoka, oddly enough now, wasn’t certified as a coach — but that was Udoka’s program, Williams said. As soon as Udoka’s NBA season ended, he was rushing to the airport to meet I-5 Elite.
“You would literally watch him play on TV for Spurs and then he would be in the gym with you the next morning,” Jackson said.
