Tag: Tilman Fertitta

Hyper-athletic: Rockets enter rebuild’s next phase by doubling down on team philosophy

“We already were athletic, and we doubled down,” Rafael Stone said after the 2023 NBA draft. “It is never a bad thing to be a hyper-athletic team, and I think we will be just that.” #Rockets

It has been at least three years since the Houston Rockets were looked at as winners on and off the court.

To regain its relevance, the organization has a three-phase plan in place. After Thursday night’s 2023 NBA draft, the Rockets already appear to be winning the second phase.

In late 2020, Phase 1 of their rebuild began with the departure of veteran superstars James Harden and Russell Westbrook. It also included the exit of general manager Daryl Morey, who was the architect of the extended playoff runs in the 2010s.

As the organization sees it, that phase ended in April 2023 when it did not renew the contract of former head coach Stephen Silas. At that time, the Rockets were coming off a third straight year with one of the NBA’s two worst records, which resulted in high draft picks to bolster Houston’s stockpile of young talent and draft assets.

Phase 2 started in late April when Houston hired former Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka, who led the Celtics to an NBA Finals appearance in his only season.

Udoka’s presence will be felt on the sidelines and in the locker room. The former NBA player and coach under San Antonio Spurs legend Gregg Popovich was heavily pursued by many teams for their head coaching vacancy during the 2023 playoffs..

The shift in dynamics, particularly when it came to hiring a coach that could help Houston’s young roster take that next step, could be considered a win for the franchise. If that is the case, general manager Rafael Stone should be preparing to take another victory lap.

According to most analysts, Houston was a big winner in Thursday’s draft after adding Amen Thompson from the Overtime Elite at No. 4 and Cam Whitmore out of Villanova at No. 20.

“Houston has a lot of players that have great potential, and I think (we) have a scary future,” Thompson said.

Adding those pieces to a roster that consists of Kevin Porter Jr., Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Şengün and Tari Eason makes Houston one of the most exciting young teams in the NBA.

“We are athletic,” Stone said with a smile during his post-draft press conference. “I think we can jump. So, I think we already were (athletic), and we doubled down. It is never a bad thing to be a hyper-athletic team, and I think we will be just that.”

The responsibility of making everything come together on the court to translate to wins will be left to Udoka and his staff. Stone has provided many key pieces to make the Rockets competitive next season, but he needs to find veteran additions in free agency.

For owner Tilman Fertitta, Phase 3 consists of playoff runs that will ultimately produce NBA titles. As of now, it remains far too early for the Rockets to make a push at hanging another championship banner in Toyota Center.

But if the team develops as projected, it may need to think about an optimal parade route through the city in a few years.

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Report: Rockets in world’s top 25 most profitable sports franchises

According to a new Forbes study, the #Rockets rank No. 23 among global sports franchises in profits this decade. They’re seventh among NBA teams.

The Houston Rockets have struggled on the court in the last three seasons, finishing with one of the NBA’s worst two records in each. However, their earnings away from the game have been world class.

According to Mike Ozanian from Forbes, the Rockets rank No. 23 in the world in recent sports franchise profits. They have banked $240 million over the past three years. The financial list is determined by operating income, which Forbes defines for its study as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.

The 2020s-era list compares teams from the NBA, National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Hockey League (NHL), and soccer franchises from various global leagues.

That No. 23 placement puts the Rockets — owned by Tilman Fertitta, who bought the team in 2017 — between the No. 24 Philadelphia Eagles and No. 22 Pittsburgh Steelers. The Texans, who also play in Houston, finished at No. 6 overall and third among NFL teams.

Houston is seventh among NBA teams, trailing the New York Knicks (No. 4, $623 million), Golden State Warriors (No. 7, $348 million), Los Angeles Lakers (No. 8, $333 million), Chicago Bulls (No. 14, $288 million) and Boston Celtics (No. 18, $269 million).

The complete list can be viewed here.

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Report: Rockets were willing to outbid other teams for Ime Udoka

“There were some rumblings out there that Houston was willing to pay a little bit more for that job,” NBA insider @MikeAScotto says of Ime Udoka’s recent hire. #Rockets

Though he ultimately signed with the Houston Rockets, former Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka had plenty of interest from various teams during this cycle of NBA vacancies.

One reported suitor for Udoka was the Toronto Raptors, who, on paper, have a much more competitive team than the young and rebuilding Rockets. So, why did Udoka choose Houston?

Some of it has to do with the roster’s promising core of young talent, which should improve as the years progress. Another factor is a high lottery pick in the 2023 draft and a league-leading figure of approximately $60 million in salary cap room entering 2023 free agency.

Another aspect of the decision, however, likely came down to cold, hard cash being paid Udoka by Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta. Houston is reportedly paying Udoka $28.5 million over the next four years, which is one of the NBA’s top 10 salaries for head coaches.

Per Michael Scotto, that figure could have been more than what other teams were willing to pay. On the HoopsHype podcast, Scotto said:

We’ve seen Nurse and Vogel get linked with Houston in their head coaching search before they went in a different direction with Ime Udoka, who also drew interest from Toronto. It seemed like Houston was ready to move, and in that scenario there were some rumblings out there that Houston was willing to pay a little bit more for that job. I think that and the urgency they had to get a deal done moved the needle there.

Houston’s willingness to spend could also help the Rockets as they hire the pool of assistant coaches for Udoka’s bench.

For more interviews with NBA players, coaches and media members, be sure to like and subscribe to the HoopsHype podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and anywhere else you listen to podcasts. The complete podcast can be listened to below, and some transcribed snippets of the conversation are available at HoopsHype.

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Podcast: How the NBA’s new labor deal could benefit the Rockets

What does the NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement mean for Houston’s rebuild? #Rockets salary cap guru David Weiner (@BimaThug) makes his case for why it should help.

With the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) on the way, what does that mean for the Houston Rockets, who have approximately $60 million in salary cap space this offseason?

David Weiner, salary cap expert and renowned Rockets blogger, offers his insight on a new episode of “The Lager Line” podcast. As part of a conversation with Ben DuBose and Paulo Alves, Weiner makes his case for why the new CBA should benefit a franchise such as the Rockets, given their market size and projected spending.

Other topics include how the CBA could influence team-building strategies throughout the league; what the implementation timeline is likely to be; and perspective on the recent Ime Udoka hire by the Rockets, along with its potential ramifications this offseason.

Friday’s podcast, which is sponsored by Clutch City Lager of Karbach Brewing, can be listened to below. Each episode of the show is also made available via flagship radio station SportsTalk 790 and all major podcast distributors under “The Lager Line.”

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Kevin Porter Jr. makes presence felt at Ime Udoka’s Rockets introduction

“I see I’ve got a smart player here,” Ime Udoka joked once Kevin Porter Jr. arrived at his #Rockets introduction. “He’s trying to get some playing time already. The only guy that showed up.”

The 2023 NBA offseason is well underway for the young Houston Rockets, who have numerous players and staff members on vacation following another rebuilding season (22-60). Thus, attending a hastily arranged introductory press conference for new head coach Ime Udoka wasn’t logistically feasible for most of them.

One exception was starting point guard Kevin Porter Jr., who happens to be one of Houston’s longest-tenured team members since being acquired in a trade from Cleveland in January 2021. With averages of 19.2 points (44.2% FG, 36.6% on 3-pointers), 5.7 assists, and 5.3 rebounds per game last season, the 22-year-old had his finest season to date, and he’d love to build on that heading into 2023-24.

So, why not start that process by making a positive impression with the new head coach? Moments after Wednesday’s press conference opened in the media room at Toyota Center, Porter slipped into the first row of seats by himself, and Udoka certainly noticed the arrival.

“I see I got a smart player here,” Udoka joked. “He’s trying to get some playing time already. The only guy that showed up.”

Later in the press conference, Udoka pointed to Porter and backcourt mate Jalen Green as having special skills:

If we just look at the backcourt, Kevin and Jalen, and what they can do, one thing I would say to the players is not all players, not all men are created equal on the basketball court. They do some natural things that others can’t do. And so you just have to harvest that, teach it the right way but as well as using their strengths.

Udoka and Porter embraced once the press conference ended.

“In my six years of having this basketball team, there’s no player that I’ve enjoyed more talking (to) off the court, even during the games, than Kevin Porter right here,” owner Tilman Fertitta said. “I just want y’all to know that, because I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it.”

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‘Youth is not an excuse’: Ime Udoka sends initial message to Rockets

“One of my first messages (to #Rockets players) will be that youth is not an excuse,” Ime Udoka says. “I’m just trying to expedite the process of becoming professionals.”

HOUSTON — When Ime Udoka was hired as the head coach of the Boston Celtics in 2021, he inherited a roster consisting of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Al Horford. His core group of players had 34 years of NBA experience, and three had been to the Eastern Conference finals two years prior.

Two years later, he has been tasked to lead a Houston Rockets team that has 11 players with 23 combined years of NBA service.

Last season, the Rockets’ oldest starter was point guard Kevin Porter Jr., who was a whopping 22 years old. Meanwhile, the youngest player in their lineup was Jabari Smith Jr., a 19-year-old forward.

On Wednesday, team owner Tilman Fertitta and general manager Rafael Stone introduced Udoka as Houston’s new head coach.

Formerly a seven-year NBA player and a longtime assistant coach, Udoka has a plan that will not allow players to use age and inexperience as an excuse when they are on the court.

“Just trying to expedite the process of becoming professionals,” Udoka said at his introductory press conference. “They (Fertitta and Stone) heard me say that one of my first messages will be youth is not an excuse. Across the board, whether it’s making the same mistakes, not making the right defensive assignments, or shot selection, all that stuff has to be addressed but also improved on.”

“Understanding that we’re going to take some lumps with our age and our youth, but my message to them will be that’s not an excuse,” the 45-year-old said. “You’ve been in the league. You’ve been taught. And that’s my job: to teach, to expedite that process.”

In his lone season with Boston, Udoka helped guide the Celtics from a 36-36 record a year prior under former head coach Brad Stevens to a 51-31 record and appearance in the NBA Finals versus Golden State. It wasn’t always easy for the former assistant to legendary head coach Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs, but Udoka finally persuaded his players to buy into his system after about 35 games.

“Understanding that having some patience, just like I had to do in Boston,” Udoka told reporters on Wednesday. “I had to change some habits there as well. Those guys were more of a veteran group and guys who had been around. It’s no different from anywhere else. I’m looking forward to doing that here.”

One of the primary adjustments for young players will be getting used to Udoka’s stern coaching style, which is very much the opposite of former Rockets head coach Stephen Silas.

“My style personally is very upfront, honest and blunt to an extent,” Udoka said. “I think the players respect honesty, straightforwardness. I’m a very relatable guy to the players. That’s what I try to build in relationships. I’m going to coach hard, coach them the right way, and I think a lot of guys respect that.”

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3 questions for the Rockets after introducing Ime Udoka as head coach

Hopefully the Rockets did their due diligence before moving forward.

Welcome to Layup Lines, our basketball newsletter where we’ll prep you for the tip-off of tonight’s action, from what to watch to bets to make. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every afternoon.

Ime Udoka was introduced as the new head coach of the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, returning to the NBA after serving a year-long suspension for a reported improper relationship with a woman in the Celtics organization.

He replaces Stephen Silas, who the team parted with after a third-straight agonizingly bad season. And now, Udoka will be charged with turning the young pieces the Rockets accumulated in that time, through the draft and trades, into winners.

Udoka was a rising star in the coaching ranks, taking Boston to the NBA Finals in his first year as coach before the suspension. Though the details of his relations with the woman remain private, the circumstances around his exit from Boston tempers any excitement about his arrival in Houston.

He served his suspension, so returning to work isn’t necessarily an issue. But there are some questions the Rockets organization hopefully answered before moving forward.

Is Udoka remorseful?

The first and maybe most important part of a person redeeming themselves after doing something wrong is understanding that they did something wrong and why. Then, it’s making amends and being committed to not showing a pattern of the same behavior.

So far, Udoka seems to be on the right track, saying Wednesday he stands by his prior apologies for what happened and feels even more remorse now, adding that his part in the matter was “to take accountability and ownership.” He said he took leadership and sensitivity training and also participated in counseling with his son.

He didn’t go into detail about what happened, but he at least seems to understand that his actions had a negative impact on others. It doesn’t guarantee he won’t do whatever it was again, but that acknowledgement is the bare minimum for someone looking to regain public and private trust.

Is Udoka the right culture fit?

The next question is whether Udoka’s recent history makes him a good fit in Houston. There were rumblings about potential culture issues in that locker room even before his hire. Is he the right person to fix that?

Better yet, are the women in the organization comfortable with the hire? Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta seems to think so, saying Rockets president Gretchen Sheirr was supportive — though she certainly cannot speak for everyone.

But that goes from top to bottom. The Rockets are an incredibly young team on the court. The last thing they need is a coach they don’t respect enough to listen to, whether it’s about basketball or life in general. That takes me to the last question.

Will players respond to him?

Udoka coached a young team in Boston to the NBA Finals and those players loved him, so it’s possible he’ll earn the trust of this team too. But the scandal is potentially one more hurdle for him in that process, and take what you want from it, but Kevin Porter Jr. was the only player who showed up for his press conference.

Udoka apparently picked the Rockets out of other options on the table because of their youth, cap flexibility and the team’s potential to grow, but he also acknowledged they’ll take some lumps.

Through the worst times, he’ll need to be able to coach his players hard and have them respond in a positive way. If he can’t do that, this move will probably not have been worth it for the Rockets.

The Tip-Off

Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.

(Photo by KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images)

Someone else who missed the entire 2022-23 season was Miles Bridges, the former Charlotte Hornets forward who went without a contract this past season after a June arrest for a domestic violence incident.

Earlier this month, the NBA announced his official punishment as a 30-game suspension to be served at the start of next season. However the league credited him with 20 games served. So, Bridges will only have to miss 10 games next year, which makes absolutely no sense.

During an interview Tuesday with the AP, commissioner Adam Silver tried to clear things up on the matter, but his explanation didn’t really help, my colleague Bryan Kalbrosky wrote:

“It makes no sense why the league would call this a 30-game suspension if Bridges is only missing 10 games. It just feels performative so they can say it was the most significant punishment for a domestic violence case in league history, exceeding the 24-game suspension for Jeffrey Taylor in 2014.

But adding the 20-game credit just softens the actual discipline. Why should he get credit for 20 games served of a suspension from when he wasn’t even on an NBA roster?”

One to Watch

(All odds via BetMGM)

Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Knicks (+5.5, +190) at Cavaliers (-250), O/U 201.5, 7 PM ET

The Knicks have shocked the NBA world with the way they’ve dominated Cleveland in this series, taking a commanding 3-1 lead into Wednesday’s game. I’m not sure if they’ll close things out in Game 5, but I don’t believe it’s a fluke. They’ll grind out another low-scoring game that falls under this total, just as every other game in the series has.

Shootaround

— J.J. Redick ripped Stephen A. Smith for his take on the Clippers and Kawhi Leonard

— Draymond Green thinks he knows why he wasn’t invited to Harrison Barnes’ wedding

— Shaq hilariously called Charles Barkley a bum while congratulating Devin Booker for making Suns history

— Jamal Murray had the classiest move for head coach Mike Malone after another series win

With NBA clearance, Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta comfortable with hiring Ime Udoka

“The NBA told me they felt very comfortable with Ime [Udoka] becoming coach of the Houston Rockets,” owner Tilman Fertitta said. “That made me feel really good.”

HOUSTON — As part of the introductory press conference for new Rockets head coach Ime Udoka, questions had to be asked regarding the workplace scandal that cost him his previous job in Boston.

Though details were vague, Udoka took responsibility and said he had learned from the situation, adding he used his season away from the NBA to work on personal growth and improvement.

“I take responsibility for my part in it,” Udoka said. “I took leadership and sensitivity training, and some counseling with my son to help him improve the situation I put him in.”

Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta, who was part of the press conference, said he had spoken with the league office about the incident and felt confident  Udoka’s situation with the Celtics should not prevent him from returning to the NBA with another team.

“The NBA told me that they felt very comfortable with Ime becoming the coach of the Houston Rockets,” Fertitta said. “So that made me feel really good after a lengthy, lengthy conversation with him.”

To ensure female perspectives were represented in the decision, Fertitta said he spoke with Gretchen Sheirr, president of business operations, as well as Paige Fertitta, his ex-wife. Both were supportive and in attendance for Udoka’s press conference at Toyota Center.

“I discussed it with the president of our organization, who is a woman, and she was very comfortable,” he said. “We’re a forgiving world and anybody that isn’t forgiving, then shame on them.”

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Tilman Fertitta says Rockets are building $70-million practice facility

The #Rockets are building a new, $70-million practice facility in Houston’s Galleria area, per owner Tilman Fertitta. Due to the permitting process, an opening date is not yet clear.

HOUSTON — As part of the introductory press conference for new head coach Ime Udoka, Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta let a secret slip.

“We’re the only team that has their own private 767 [aircraft] to fly around in,” Fertitta said in response to a question about spending. “We’re building a $70-million practice facility right now.”

Since opening Toyota Center in 2003, the Rockets have trained on a single practice court inside the building. Fertitta, who bought the franchise in October 2017, has stated a desire on multiple occasions to build a new facility with multiple practice courts.

“I really screwed up. We wanted to do a real formal announcement,” Fertitta said. “We were hoping it would be ready for next season, but just with permitting and everything — we’ll lay it all out for you guys soon. And it’s really exciting. It’s gonna be great. It’s in the Galleria area. I think it’ll be a great tool to recruit players.”

With next season unlikely it sounds as if the tentative opening date for the facility would be the 2024 offseason.

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‘Sky is the limit’: Ime Udoka explains why Houston was the right fit

Citing young talent, salary cap space, and an attractive destination market, new #Rockets coach Ime Udoka explained why he’s a big believer in Houston’s future.

HOUSTON — In a press conference featuring both optimism and remorse, the Rockets introduced Ime Udoka as their new head coach on Wednesday at Toyota Center. He replaces Stephen Silas and will be the 15th coach in franchise history, starting with the 2023-24 season.

The remorse, of course, relates to Udoka’s first extended commentary since the September 2022 scandal over an improper workplace relationship that derailed his tenure in Boston.

Prior to that, Udoka’s time as head coach with the Celtics was overwhelmingly successful, capped by a trip to the 2022 NBA Finals. The 45-year-old had spent nine years as an assistant for three teams, including seven seasons on the staff of legendary head coach Gregg Popovich with the San Antonio Spurs.

The Rockets, of course, are counting on Udoka’s baggage staying in the past. They want everyone to focus on the obvious basketball merits of the hire. To that end, Houston general manager Rafael Stone said he loves the intelligence, drive and toughness of Udoka as a coach, and he hopes those traits will propel the team’s rebuilding project into its next phase. That’s where the optimism comes in.

Here’s a roundup of what Stone, Udoka and owner Tilman Fertitta said at Wednesday’s extended media availability session, which kicks off a busy 2023 offseason for the Rockets.