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Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets will meet the media ahead of the 2026-27 season this afternoon.<\/p>\n
Welcome to Media Day for the 2026-27 Houston Rockets!<\/p>\n
We\u2019ll have live coverage of all the best quotes, news and notes from the Toyota Center, as Kevin Durant, Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun, Fred VanVleet and the squad get ready for a new season.<\/p>\n
What we know about Rockets Media Day:<\/p>\n
Players and coaches will speak to the press, discussing their thoughts and expectations for the 2026-27 NBA season, beginning at noon ET. Watch it here<\/a>. SEPTEMBER 22 \/ 2:33 PM<\/p>\n Sengun\u2019s growing with the team<\/p>\n Last year\u2019s Playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers provided valuable experience for the Rockets\u2019 young core, Alperen Sengun said.<\/p>\n \u201cJust the experience beat us, I would say\u2026 They knew what to do. They were calm in the clutch times,\u201d said Sengun, noting his years of camaraderie with Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. \u201cIt was good to be fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with brothers. Being with them for four, five years\u2026 we wanted to get in this position, and we were all there. We failed, unfortunately, but you fail to win. We come back for this season stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n The team went down 3-0 and battled back to force Game 6, Sengun said. Over the offseason, he reviewed the games, trying to get better and build on the experience.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was really good for Jabari to step up like that. I tried to step up. Amen stepped up. Reed had an amazing Playoff series, which was his first,\u201d said Sengun. \u201cJust showing up like that, we all know everybody has a big heart out here.\u201d<\/p>\n Adding VanVleet and Adams will only make the team better, he said.<\/p>\n SEPTEMBER 22 \/ 2:15 PM<\/p>\n Bruce enters the Association<\/p>\n Bruce Thornton, the all-time leading scorer at Ohio State, said he planned to keep asking questions in his rookie season, as he navigates the new world of the NBA.<\/p>\n Thornton said it was an experience to play with Kevin Durant for the first time.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was definitely insane. I called my friends \u2014 I was like \u2018yo, there are definitely levels to this,’\u201d said Thornton. \u201cOn defense, I\u2019m playing, I almost caught myself just watching, like \u2018is this guy going to miss?’\u201d<\/p>\n Teaming with Fred VanVleet, Durant and others, Thornton said he planned to be a \u201csponge\u201d as he picks up tips from the veterans.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are no stupid questions,\u201d said Thornton. \u201cIf you don\u2019t know, always ask.\u201d<\/p>\n Noted for his solid physique, he said the food in Houston has been \u201cfire,\u201d including a taco spot near his home.<\/p>\n SEPTEMBER 22 \/ 2:01 PM<\/p>\n Durant: \u2018Excited for the first day\u2019<\/p>\n Kevin Durant is ready to get some buckets in this season, continuing his longtime love for the game.<\/p>\n \u201cExcited for another opportunity to get on this horse, ride on the journey with this team and see what happens,\u201d said Durant.<\/p>\n “I’m always hungry to play.”@KDTrey5<\/a> discusses his mentality heading into Year 20 and bouncing back from injuries at @HoustonRockets<\/a> Media Day \ud83d\ude24 pic.twitter.com\/OFNaaoBfpl<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NBA (@NBA) September 22, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Fred VanVleet and Marcus Smart add ball-handling and shooting ability to the squad, taking pressure off of everyone else, Durant said.<\/p>\n With additional experience, he said the team should be better prepared for the new season, both young players and veterans.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can see the effort in everybody,\u201d said Durant. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to come to work every day and really show up, and can\u2019t wait for that.\u201d<\/p>\n Durant said he didn\u2019t want his minutes diminished solely because of his age \u2014 he trains to play 48 minutes and be available for the long haul.<\/p>\n \u201cI get the concern, but if the game needs me to be out there, I want to be out there,\u201d said Durant.<\/p>\n SEPTEMBER 22 \/ 1:45 PM<\/p>\n \u2018Get to the rainbow on the other end\u2019<\/p>\n A native of Flower Mound, TX, Marcus Smart said Houston felt like the best fit in free agency, where he reunites with former Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka.<\/p>\n \u201cDamn, this team is scary,\u201d said Smart. \u201cDamn, we\u2019re going to give some teams some problems.\u201d<\/p>\n Smart said he\u2019s excited to play alongside Kevin Durant, add his voice in pressure moments and hopes to teach Amen Thompson how to pick his spots defensively.<\/p>\n Smart said he hadn\u2019t thought about throwing his body around as a young player. Now, it\u2019s caught up with him physically. He\u2019d like Thompson to be able to perform at a high level for a long time.<\/p>\n As a former player, Udoka understands what it takes to succeed in the NBA, Smart said.<\/p>\n \u201cHe doesn\u2019t sugar coat anything,\u201d said Smart. \u201cEverything is straight up with you, and it allows you to grow.\u201d<\/p>\n Smart said last season\u2019s Rockets went though a series of challenges similar to the teams he grew up on in Boston, facing injuries, with their reputation boosted by a hot start.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to go through those battles, those storms, to get to the rainbow on the other end,\u201d said Smart.<\/p>\n SEPTEMBER 22 \/ 1:30 PM<\/p>\n Amen aims to ascend<\/p>\n Amen Thompson said he wants to make the All-Defensive Team every year, building on his two-way focus on the floor.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to be a premier defender,\u201d said Thompson. \u201cIt definitely was motivation (to miss it last season), especially with Ausar making it.\u201d<\/p>\n Thompson said he\u2019s comfortable taking midrange jumpers, having worked on it over the summer. He focused on \u201ca little bit of everything,\u201d including his shooting and handle.<\/p>\n The Rockets\u2019 faith in him, rewarded with a five-year, $208 million contract extension<\/a>, means a lot, Thompson said. He\u2019s locked in on bringing a championship to Houston.<\/p>\n Marcus Smart brings savvy to the squad, Thompson said \u2014 he\u2019s hoping to pick up a few things.<\/p>\n \u201cHaving another guy I can learn from like that, and a Defensive Player of the Year at that, it\u2019s going to be really good for me,\u201d said Thompson. \u201cHe\u2019s got the tricks \u2014 he knows the defensive tricks. I\u2019ve got to learn some of those \u2014 I just play.\u201d<\/p>\n SEPTEMBER 22 \/ 1:16 PM<\/p>\n \u2018It\u2019s flying, isn\u2019t it?\u2019<\/p>\n Entering his fifth season, Jabari Smith Jr. said he was trying to improve his overall game, as well as add strength and the ability to play at a faster pace.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like I need to speed up my feet, speed up my fluidity overall,\u201d said Smith Jr. \u201cI\u2019ve definitely been working on that\u2026 I\u2019ve just been playing a lot, putting bodies on me\u2026 Putting yourself in uncomfortable situations, I think has been working for me.\u201d<\/p>\n Smith Jr. said he kept the intensity of the Playoffs in mind as he worked over the summer, noting that, with such a deep team, players will have to find their niche on the floor. He wants to be more vocal at this point, sharing his experience and comfort in Ime Udoka\u2019s system, and aggressively intentional on the floor.<\/p>\n \u201cTrying to get on that All-Defensive team,\u201d said Smith Jr. \u201cI\u2019m going to be a lot more physical.\u201d<\/p>\n SEPTEMBER 22 \/ 1:07 PM<\/p>\n \u2018You just need to play the season\u2019<\/p>\n Steven Adams is, of course, confident in his team\u2019s abilities, but is watching to see how they\u2019ll adapt over the varied course of a long NBA season.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m pretty confident with our group,\u201d said Adams. \u201cWe\u2019ve got a lot of good veterans here, a lot of young guys that are a little bit older \u2014 I\u2019m not sure they\u2019re smarter, mate, hate to tell you guys, but they should be alright.\u201d<\/p>\n Adams said the team had missed Fred VanVleet last season, noting his importance to the team\u2019s culture.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s aggressive, dude,\u201d said Adams. \u201cFloor general.\u201d<\/p>\n “No questions? Sweet!” @RealStevenAdams<\/a> has jokes to begin his presser at Rockets Media Day \ud83d\ude02 pic.twitter.com\/jGk9IFGie2<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NBA (@NBA) September 22, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n SEPTEMBER 22 \/ 1:04 PM<\/p>\n KD dons the new threads<\/p>\n Kevin Durant is ready for takeoff into YEAR 20 \ud83d\ude80 pic.twitter.com\/s8otszQd3e<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NBA (@NBA) September 22, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n SEPTEMBER 22 \/ 12:57 PM<\/p>\n This team can be vocal<\/p>\n Jae\u2019Sean Tate, the longest-tenured Rocket, said this team seemed comfortable calling each other out and holding each other accountable, unlike past squads.<\/p>\n Tate\u2019s entering his seventh season in Houston. Over the years, while his vertical has waned a bit, he said he\u2019s gained leadership skills and remains ready to contribute when his number is called.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m just trying to help the guys around me,\u201d said Tate. \u201cI can genuinely say I love my job\u2026 This isn\u2019t work for me. I love it. I love Houston\u2026 and at the end of the day, I think we can win.\u201d<\/p>\n He\u2019s looking forward to the team\u2019s new \u201cketchup-and-mustard\u201d jerseys \u2014 a welcome change from their steady red look.<\/p>\n The new uniforms add a little bit of \u201cflavor\u201d and \u201cspark\u201d to the team\u2019s look, Tate said. People are going to want to come see it, he said, along with fresh, blacked-out seats in the Toyota Center.<\/p>\n SEPTEMBER 22 \/ 12:51 PM<\/p>\n Capela: \u2018This team is different\u2019<\/p>\n Clint Capela, a familiar face in Houston, noted the team\u2019s added experience and confidence this year.<\/p>\n He noted the impact that he and Steven Adams have on the glass, noting that not many other bigs can match it. He said he lost about four percent of his body fat this offseason, adding to his quickness and explosivity.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re excited. We know that we have everything we need in our locker to do it,\u201d said Capela. \u201cIt feels great to have some abs looking good.\u201d<\/p>\n Along with the growth of its young talent, Capela said the team could mesh to make progress, chasing the 2018 squad that reached the Western Conference Finals.<\/p>\n SEPTEMBER 22 \/ 12:44 PM<\/p>\n Bogdanovi\u0107 bolsters the squad<\/p>\n Re-joining former teammate Clint Capela, Bogdan Bogdanovi\u0107 adds scoring punch and verve to the Rockets\u2019 bench.<\/p>\n Former teammates reunited in H-Town \ud83e\udd72@LeaderOfHorde<\/a> and @CapelaClint<\/a> go way back\u2026 new Houston addition Bogdan Bogdanovi\u0107 explains at Rockets Media Day! pic.twitter.com\/UhxwfwWhgj<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NBA (@NBA) September 22, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI think I can fit perfectly, and bring a lot of shooting, playmaking,\u201d said Bogdanovi\u0107. \u201cI\u2019m just here to do my job, whatever it is, bring whatever I have\u2026 They have great chemistry, they have a great team, a mix of young and veterans and experienced players, Hall-of-Fame players, role players, so I really like where I\u2019m at.\u201d<\/p>\n Bogdanovi\u0107 said he can help particularly when other players are trapped in the pick-and-roll, attacking numbers in the half court.<\/p>\n SEPTEMBER 22 \/ 12:34 PM<\/p>\n VanVleet back on his feet<\/p>\n The former NBA champion and All-Star said he had a tough last season, as he recovered from his knee injury, but he\u2019s eager to get back on the floor and play with Kevin Durant, Reed Sheppard and others.<\/p>\n VanVleet said he\u2019s enjoying everything as the team prepares for the new campaign, taking things in with a new perspective. His knee is still recovering, as he awaits game reps and returning to NBA speed.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been progressing nicely,\u201d said VanVleet. \u201cI feel really good. It\u2019s going to be a process still, so I\u2019m sure what you guys see won\u2019t be the finished product, but I\u2019m in a really good spot\u2026 I\u2019m just really grateful and excited to get back out there on the court.\u201d<\/p>\n “To be where I am right now\u2026 I feel really good.”@FredVanVleet<\/a> on his recovery and upcoming return to the court at @HoustonRockets<\/a> Media Day! pic.twitter.com\/PytwjWNu2w<\/a><\/p>\n
\nThe Houston Rockets finished last season at 52-30, earning the fifth seed in the Western Conference Playoffs.
\nHouston signed former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart this offseason and extended the contracts of Thompson and Tari Eason as well.<\/p>\n