Rockets eye ‘another party’ for city
Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta removed a new Astros World Series championship ring from its box, placed it on his desk and thought it needed company.
On Wednesday, the final day of his first regular season as owner, Fertitta dug out the 1994 and 1995 Rockets NBA championship rings, the rewards from his time as a minority owner, lined them up with the enormous new addition to the collection (a gift from Astros owner Jim Crane) and let his mind wander to the possibilities he hesitates to say out loud.
He has never worn the Rockets championship rings, but he likes the idea.
“If we win one (this season), I’ll wear it,” Fertitta said. “Maybe I’ll wear all three.”
For now, they sit as a reminder of the prize in sight as the Rockets begin the playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night at Toyota Center.
More than that, with their shiny new orange-and-blue friend, there was a sense of how far a championship can reach, how much it can mean to a community, to this community.
“It’s special,” Fertitta said. “It’s interesting that the great Astros run and now the Rockets run has come after Harvey.
“In times people are down, they tend to gravitate to other things.
There’s nothing like sports to get your mind off of something. I don’t know if it weren’t for Harvey we wouldn’t be doing as well as we are. I really do think the fans and the fan support had a lot to do with both teams’ success this year.”
A community that had come together, with people embracing one another with such extreme emotions, has another chance. Having gone from the tragedies and triumphs of Harvey to the ascent of the Astros, there might be a deeper sense of identity and unity, and of the rewards they can bring as the Rockets begin their postseason with the NBA’s best record and the presumptive MVP, guard James Harden.
“Man, this is just the start of great things happening for this city,” said Rockets guard Gerald Green, the Houston native and Harvey hero who so openly cherishes his hometown. “Everybody knows the devastation this city has been through. It’s like Hurricane Harvey gave everyone motivation to want to see this city do better. I guess when that happened, the Astros kicked into another gear. We have that same feeling.
“This whole season, since I’ve been here with the Rockets, it’s just been different. I’ve never been with a team that’s been so focused, so locked in, so determined to have the same goal to win a championship.
“They want to see the city succeed. They want to see this city come together again. I know it would mean a lot for this city. This would be very special to the city of Houston, but we have a lot of work to do, a lot of work. First to 16 wins.”
‘Fun for everybody’
The Rockets would have had championship aspirations even if they were not representing a city that had been tested by disaster or uplifted by victory. That was certain since the Rockets traded for ninetime All-Star Chris Paul in June, reinforced in their offseason players’ minicamps and then put in motion when they won 65 games to become viewed as a legitimate challenge to the Golden State Warriors’ reign previously considered impregnable.
When the Astros won the World Series as the Rockets were demonstrating their worthiness to be viewed as contenders, there was a sense of the shared joy that would come with another title.
“The Astros were unbelievable, and surely we would like to reach that pinnacle like they did,” Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said. “I think it would be fantastic. Whether they won or not, I think it would be unbelievable. It would be fun for everybody. If we can have another party, it would be great. But we’re a loooooong way from that. We have a lot of work to do.”
Though the Rockets are the top seed, they face a difficult road. The Timberwolves fell to eighth in the Western Conference, only securing their playoff spot with a thrilling overtime win on the season’s last night, in part because star guard Jimmy Butler of Tomball was hurt Feb. 23 in Toyota Center, missing the next 17 games.
If the Rockets advance to the second round, they would face the Utah Jazz, who had the next-best record in the second half of the season, or the Oklahoma City Thunder, the only Western Conference team to have a winning record against the Rockets. The Warriors are strong favorites to be waiting in the Western Conference finals.
Fertitta knows pitfalls
Yet, players have said they feel greater optimism about their championship chances.
“Excitement for sure, especially with (what) the Astros did, just carrying … that wave for the city of Houston,” Harden said. “Everything else falls into what’s in this locker room.”
Over in his office on the West Loop, Fertitta often is reminded of what happened the last time the Rockets were sold, winning championships in Leslie Alexander’s first two seasons as owner. Fertitta does not need the reminder, having come so close to buying the franchise in that summer of 1993. But with the rings now on display, he does not hide from it, either.
“You can’t help but think about it, but I just don’t want to go there,” Fertitta said. “People bring it up to me. Let me tell you something, you got to win 16 games to get there. You have to beat four really tough teams. Anything can happen.
“Is our team good enough to do it? Yes. But as we all know, there is also luck to winning championships. It’s hard to win a championship. Maybe this Houston luck will continue. It would be great.”