HOUSTON — On Monday morning at Toyota Center, Rockets general manager Rafael Stone stood in front of media members to talk about the evenst that sent the world into a frenzy on Sept. 11, 2001. It was part of the franchise’s annual Patriot Day tribute (this year, a Heroes Luncheon) to military members and first responders.
Unfortunately, Stone — who took questions on a few basketball topics — had no clue his organization was about to be rocked to its core.
Minutes after Stone walked away from reporters, news broke that Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. had been arrested in New York on charges of assault and strangulation of his girlfriend, Kysre Gondrezick.
As hours progressed, details of the alleged assault surfaced, including information that Porter punched Gondrezick in the face multiple times and grabbed her by the neck. It was revealed that Gondrezick complained of neck pain and spent several hours at a local hospital. It was determined she had suffered a fractured vertebra among her reported injuries.
On Tuesday, Porter entered a not-guilty plea and was told by the judge he must again appear before the court on Oct. 16, 2023.
With media day and the start of 2023-24 training camp approaching in early October, Stone will soon have to answer questions concerning the character of the organization.
“We want to be a team no one wants to play,” said Houston Rockets GM Rafael Stone when I asked him about the team’s attitude towards the future. #Rockets #Sarge @TheRocketsWire pic.twitter.com/kDDceyqxGA
— #SARGE (@BigSargeSportz) September 11, 2023
Many question the hiring of new head coach Ime Udoka, who was suspended and eventually fired from the Celtics after leading his team to the NBA Finals in his first year. It was revealed that Udoka had an improper relationship with a woman on Boston’s staff.
Although he was remorseful in his introductory press conference, even admitting he attended counseling with his son to help heal, Udoka still came under criticism regarding his character. Some media and fans questioned if he had truly learned from past mistakes.
Stone, who took over as general manager in October 2020 after Daryl Morey’s exit, wants this team to move in a new direction. But at every turn so far, chaos has kept the Rockets on the launch pad.
Former All-Star guards Russell Westbrook, James Harden and John Wall parted with the organization under somewhat strained terms at the time. Interestingly, it was the Porter experiment at point guard that led to the Rockets seeing less of a role for Wall. On the sidelines, former head coach Stephen Silas began the process of Houston’s current rebuild but wasn’t allowed to see it all the way through, and he was subsequently replaced by Udoka.
The Rockets are 59-177 (.250) over the previous three seasons, with a record at the bottom of the Western Conference in each of the seasons. Even after signing marquee veterans Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks and Jeff Green this offseason, the task of improving the on-court product is not easy. It is likely to take the organization some time.
At the same time, Stone also needs to restore the franchise’s image. Between Udoka’s baggage and recent developments involving Porter, that aspect of the rebuild could prove just as challenging.
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