Ime Udoka’s ex-girlfriend Nia Long: Who is Nia Long?

Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka looking at an unknown woman while ex-girlfriend Nia Long looks on.

Ime Udoka was caught in a cheating scandal while in a relationship with Nia Long. Let’s get to know Ime Udoka’s ex-girlfriend Nia Long.

There was no question that Ime Udoka was piecing together something special when he was the head coach of the Boston Celtics. But while Udoka was performing well on the sidelines, the former NBA veteran was also caught having a relationship with a Celtics staff member.

There was no question that Ime Udoka was piecing together something special when he was the head coach of the Boston Celtics. But while Udoka was performing well on the sidelines, the former NBA veteran was also caught having a relationship with a Celtics staff member.

Who is Nia Long?

Ime Udoka’s ex-girlfriend is Nia Long. Nia Long was born on Oct. 30, 1970, in Brooklyn, N.Y. She attended Westchester High School.

After graduating from high school, Long attended Santa Monica City College. However, Long opted to not finish her college education. Instead, she chose to drop out after two years to focus on pursuing a career in acting.

Nia Long’s career in acting

In 1986, Long made her television debut in the series The Magical World of Disney. During the same year, she also had an uncredited role in 227. Three years later, Long made her big-screen debut in the movie called Buried Alive.

Long’s breakout role came in 1991, when she appeared in the film Boyz n the Hood. Boyz n the Hood would gross $57 million around the world.

In an interview with The Loop 21, Long revealed “With ‘Boyz n the Hood’ it was a great way to introduce myself to the world as a young African-American woman — girl at the time. I was just so excited to be doing my first real movie role. It introduced me to the world in a way that it was okay for me to be who I am and still find success. I didn’t have to conform to anything.”

Since making Brandi come to life in Boyz n the Hood, Long would earn several more acting projects. In terms of television, Long would appear in programs such as Guiding Light, Living Single, Live Shot, ER, Moesha, If These Walls Could Talk 2, Sightings: Heartland Ghost, Third Watch, Everwood, Boston Legal, Big Shots, The Cleveland Show, Chase, Beaches, Dear White People, and The Goldbergs: 1990-Something.

In terms of the big screen, Long continued to be a fixture. She appeared in movies such as Soul Food, Love Jones, Butter, In Too Deep, Held Up, The Secret Laughter of Women, Badasssss!, Alfie, Premonition, Gospel Hill, The Single Moms Club, The Banker, 47 Meters Down: Uncaged and Look Both Ways.

Nia Long’s other notable acting roles

In 1995, Long starred in the film called Friday alongside Hollywood sensations Chris Tucker and Ice Cube. The film would gross $28.2 million worldwide. On the other hand, Long made her mark on television screens when she portrayed Lisa Wilkes in the hit sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, where she acted alongside a young and rising Will Smith.

Aside from these roles, Long also turned heads with her performance as Sherry Pierce in Big Momma’s House. Long reprised the role in Big Momma’s House 2. Some other hit appearances for Long include TV series Empire, NCIS: Los Angeles, and House of Lies.

Furthermore, Long also made waves as Jordan Armstrong in The Best Man. For making Jordan Armstrong come to life, Long received a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture.

She received another after reprising her role in The Best Man: The Final Chapters, this time for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Television Movie, Limited Series or Dramatic Special. Long also received a pair of Hollywood Awards from the Acapulco Black Film Festival for The Best Man Holiday.

While Long has become a respectable actress, that hasn’t stopped her from making time to do some volunteer work at Sterling Children’s home. Sterling Children’s home serves as a shelter for children with its 21-room residence located in St. Philip, Barbados.

Nia Long’s relationship with Ime Udoka

As per People magazine, Udoka and Long first met in Boston in 2010 through a mutual friend. Since then, their relationship romantically blossomed. In 2011, Udoka and Long welcomed their first child together named Kez.

Four years later, the couple decided to get engaged, as they settled in Boston. For Long, the key to their relationship was supporting each other in their individual careers, with Udoka as a basketball coach and Long as an actress.

In an interview with People, Long revealed “We both have beautiful careers. The thing that I think makes it work for us is we give each other the space and time to do what we have to do individually as well as together.”

Ime Udoka’s cheating scandal

In 2022, fresh from coaching the Boston Celtics to an NBA Finals appearance, it was reported that Udoka violated team policies by having an intimate relationship with a staff member of the Boston Celtics organization. This ultimately led to Udoka’s suspension and, later on, his departure from the Boston Celtics.

Furthermore, not only did the incident affect Udoka’s career, but it also ended his relationship with Long.

In a conversation with People, Long said “The outpouring of love and support from family, friends and the community during this difficult time means so much to me. I ask that my privacy be respected as I process the recent events. Above all, I am a mother and will continue to focus on my children.”

Months after breaking up, Long would file for full custody of their son. In fact, it was revealed that Udoka failed to provide child support for their son. This is despite Udoka now being the head coach of the Houston Rockets and having a net worth of $6 million.

Nevertheless, this is all the information that we have on Ime Udoka’s ex-girlfriend Nia Long.