The Houston Rockets come into the season as one of the teams expected to compete for a championship. The Rockets made the most significant move of the offseason when they brought in former MVP and future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant via trade.
The Rockets’ first action on the court in an official game this preseason resulted in a 4-0 undefeated record. Even though preseason results should always be taken with a grain of salt, the Rockets’ coaching staff was overall happy with the results, as they were able to see the entire active roster play in multiple games and try out different starting lineups.
With the offseason additions and a 52-win playoff appearance last season, the excitement level is off the charts for the Rockets heading into the regular season. The Rockets announced earlier this week that season ticket sales grew exponentially this offseason. Enrollment is up more than 25 percent from last season, reaching its highest level since the 2019-20 season, and all floor-level seating is sold out.
The Rockets, for the first time in eight seasons, will play in the NBA’s opening night slate of games. In fact, the Rockets are part of the very first NBA game when they travel to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder as the team raises its first-ever championship banner. The Rockets are celebrating NBA opening week by hosting several events.
The Houston Rockets will be hosting different events all week, starting with a watch party for tonight’s matchup with the Thunder. The event will take place at Little Woodrow’s EaDo beginning at 6 P.M. on Wednesday. Rockets second-year guard Reed Sheppard will sign autographs at the Rockets team shop in Toyota Center between 3 and 4 P.M.
Another Rocket player will be making an appearance on Thursday, a day before the Rockets’ home opener. Fourth-year forward Jabari Smith will also sign autographs on Thursday at Lids as part of the NBA opening week festivities. Lids is a sports shop that carries a variety of team gear throughout all sports. Smith will interact with fans from 6 P.M. to 7 P.M.
To cap off opening week, the Rockets will hand out hats to every fan in attendance for the Rockets’ home opener against the Detroit Pistons, courtesy of the Toyota Center. It will be a busy week for the Rockets as they kick off a season they hope will run all the way into May and maybe a championship.