An injury to Bryant opened the door for Udoka to sign with the Lakers on a 10-day contract, playing four games during the stretch before being forced back into the NBA wilderness. “We enjoyed Ime and liked him a lot,” said Jim Cleamons, an assistant on that Lakers staff. “He was competitive and understood. The only problem was that most of the guys had guaranteed contracts. It’s a numbers game. . . . We as a staff loved his competitiveness. His heart. His character. I’m sorry we couldn’t keep him.”