Ime Udoka Rips ‘Soft or Scared’ Rockets After Disappointing Loss
June 1, 2025 — Houston, TX
Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka didn’t hold back his frustration after his team’s underwhelming performance in a disappointing loss on Saturday night. Speaking to reporters postgame, Udoka called out his players for lacking intensity, questioning their toughness and resolve in a stinging critique that’s sure to resonate throughout the locker room.
“We looked soft or scared out there,” Udoka said bluntly. “That’s the only way I can describe it. We weren’t aggressive, we didn’t execute under pressure, and frankly, we didn’t show up the way we needed to.”
The Rockets fell 118-102 to a short-handed opponent, marking their third consecutive loss and exposing deeper issues for a young squad trying to climb back into the Western Conference playoff picture. Despite the opponent missing several key starters, the Rockets failed to capitalize, struggling on both ends of the floor and showing little fight down the stretch.
“We let a team missing their top players outwork us,” Udoka continued. “That’s unacceptable at this stage. If you’re not ready to compete — physically and mentally — then we’ve got a problem.”
Throughout the season, the Rockets have shown flashes of potential, with standout performances from young stars like Jalen Green, Alperen Şengün, and Jabari Smith Jr. But consistency has been elusive, and Saturday’s loss highlighted a troubling pattern: slow starts, poor defensive effort, and a lack of urgency when facing adversity.
“It’s not about youth anymore,” Udoka added. “We’ve played enough games to know what’s expected. I’m not going to sugarcoat it — this isn’t a learning curve issue. It’s an effort issue.”
Several players echoed their coach’s sentiment in the locker room, acknowledging that the team needs to respond better when challenged.
“We didn’t bring it tonight, plain and simple,” said guard Fred VanVleet. “Coach is right to be upset. We have to take a hard look in the mirror.”
With just a few weeks remaining in the regular season, the Rockets find themselves on the outside of the playoff race, making each remaining game critical. Udoka emphasized that there’s still time to turn things around — but only if his team embraces accountability.
“We have to decide what kind of team we want to be,” he said. “You can’t coach effort and toughness every night. That has to come from within.”
The Rockets will look to bounce back in their next matchup, but Udoka’s message was clear: soft and scared won’t cut it.
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