Ime Udoka and Nia Long were embroiled in a legal battle over their 12-year-old son, Kez, and child support payments for a while following their split last year. It appears that the case has now been settled, according to court documents obtained by The Blast.
As per their findings, Long and Udoka have agreed on joint custody, with the Houston Rockets head coach paying $32,500 per month in child support. His disposable income is $465,804 per month and considering Kez resides with Long 95% of the time, the payment actually should have been $56,389.
The two parties mutually agreed to lower it, but Udoka now gets less than 5% timeshare with his son during the 2023-24 season. He is entitled to reasonable visitation, but only after collaborating with Long. Udoka has to send a written notice and plan for the visit at least 10 days before it via email to his former partner.
He will also be maintaining his son's medical and dental insurance. The two parties will collaborate on matters such as Kez's health and education, but if there is any disagreement, then Long has the authority to make the final call after providing Udoka with advanced notice.
She might not have gotten everything that she had initially wanted, but I think this ended up being a good deal for Long. She has her attorney, Samantha Spector, to thank for that.
Nia Long Wanted Primary Custody
Long and Udoka reportedly started dating back in 2010 and got engaged in 2015, but their relationship fell apart in 2022. In September, the Boston Celtics suspended their then-head coach for entering into a relationship with a female staffer on the team, which was against their code of conduct.
It brought to light Udoka's infidelity and, unsurprisingly, Long was furious with her then-fiancee. She was pretty upset with the Celtics as well, as they had put out what should have been a private family matter in public.
It was confirmed in December 2022 that they had parted ways, and not too long after, their court battle began. It was reported in August 2023, that Long wanted primary custody of their son as she claimed Udoka was not supporting him.
"The split between Nia Long and Ime Udoka is getting nastier... The actress is now asking for primary custody of the couple's child after she claims the NBA head coach has been failing to support the kid," TMZ reported.
"Long made the allegation in a court filing in Los Angeles last week... While requesting a judge give her primary legal and physical custody of their 11-year-old son, Kez.
"According to the docs, however, she did ask the judge to allow Udoka a reasonable opportunity to visit their kid to the extent 'consistent with the child's best interest.'"
Well, things were getting nasty, but it's all over now. You wish none of this ever happened, but it is what it is at this point. Both parties will hopefully do a good job of working together for their son, as Kez would be the one who would have been hit the hardest by the situation.
It is unclear if either Long or Udoka entered into any relationship after their split, and I certainly wouldn't blame them for keeping it under wraps after these events.
More must-reads: