In recent months, the Rockets have reportedly rebuffed trade inquiries for veteran guard Eric Gordon, due in large part to his value as a veteran mentor for Houston’s developing young core.
It seems the value of the 33-year-old’s intangibles apply on and off the court. According to Julian Duncan, chief marketing and strategy officer with the Rockets, and Paul Suarez, vice president of digital marketing, Gordon played a key role in the team’s beloved schedule release video one far larger than first imagined.
“Eric actually asked for more lines,” Suarez said of Gordon on the latest episode of The Lager Line podcast. “He was like, Oh, come on, give me a little bit more!’ He’s like the big brother on this team, and those guys really look up to him. So once he bought in, it was pretty easy after that. That led to more folks wanting to jump in.”
By the end of the project, Suarez said Houston’s marketing team actually had players and staffers coming to them and volunteering to take part. The finished product featured Gordon, Josh Christopher, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, TyTy Washington, head coach Stephen Silas and general manager Rafael Stone acting in in-person roles from Toyota Center, while Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr., Alperen Sengun, assistant coach John Lucas, Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy and team broadcasters participated via Zoom.
While the reveal video obviously doesn’t carry a direct correlation to on-court success, it shows Gordon’s desire to be in the building at Toyota Center and around his fellow teammates and staff members, even in the offseason. In time, the team’s hope is for that type of camaraderie and familiarity to bring additional on-court value, on top of the clear merits of his 3-point shooting and defense.
“He’s really helping build a culture,” Suarez said of Gordon, who jokingly marvels at his ability to spin LeBron James in the video.
“It’s an entirely new mindset after the years where we won and got close (to a title). It’s exciting, and he’s been fluid enough to jump on board with it (the rebuild). That’s really cool to see.”
“It shows that he gets the bigger picture,” Duncan added.
While many NBA veterans of Gordon’s age and stature attempt to move to title contenders, it appears he’s quite happy to stick around with the young core for a potential seventh season in Houston.
The complete podcast can be listened to below.
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