As Houston improves its NBA status, former Rockets are taking notice

“They had a great year, and I think this year is going to be special,” Vernon Maxwell says of the Rockets. “They are on the right track, and I like what they are doing.”

The Houston Rockets demonstrated remarkable resilience in their rebuilding process last year, culminating in a 41-41 finish to the 2023-24 regular season. This marked a significant milestone, as it was the first time they achieved a .500 or better record in four years.

Under the leadership of first-year head coach Ime Udoka, and with the contributions of veterans Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks — along with the emerging talents of Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson, and Cam Whitmore — the team rekindled much of the respect that the franchise once had.

Their attitude and work ethic even caught the attention of former players waiting to see how the new regime would restore order.

“They had a great season,” said former Rockets guard Vernon Maxwell, who spoke at Monday’s charity event organized by former player and current front office member John Lucas. “They have a lot of young guys, and I think that they need to keep that core together.”

Maxwell, 58, played a vital role in helping the Rockets win their first NBA championship in 1994. Given that experience, he knows a thing or two about what it takes to develop on-court chemistry.

“They had a great year, and I think that this year is going to be special. They are on the right track, and I like what they are doing.”

“Mad Max,” as he was known around the league, wasn’t the only former Rockets player to take note of Houston’s turnaround during the 2023-24 season. Point guard DJ Augustin, who played in the NBA for 19 seasons and was on a Rockets team that only won 20 games during the 2021-22 season, also noticed the different mentality and approach to the game from the players.

“It was great to see,” Augustin said of the turnaround. “Rafael [Stone] did a good job of getting the free agents he did. Ime [Udoka] did a good job of coaching those guys. You can tell they have a structure and great organized dedication that they put into the team, and the guys looked like they followed it and they made strides.”

Augustin was impressed by the turnaround of third-year shooting guard Jalen Green, who had an explosive second half of the season. “JG is my guy, and you can tell he is starting to develop,” he said.

Maxwell and Augustin were just a few of the former athletes and sports media personalities who attended the event at the Memorial Park Golf Course. Held each year by the John Lucas Foundation, the event raises money to fund healthy living programs focused on mental health, substance abuse prevention, and youth basketball.

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