On the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, the Rockets spent part of the day recognizing first responders across Houston and looking ahead to a season they believe could be different in a few key ways.
The organization has made a habit of showing appreciation for 911 Dispatchers, firefighters, police, and other first responders throughout the city. Last year, the Rockets went to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation and served lunch to military veterans on Patriot Day. This year, the team’s tribute expands again: the Rockets, Houston Comets, and Toyota Center staff will visit the remaining Houston Police Department and Houston Fire Department stations to hand out T-shirts, collectibles, premium snacks, and complimentary tickets to an upcoming Rockets home game.
The team also will back the 9/11 Heroes Run hosted by the Travis Manion Foundation on Saturday.
For Thursday’s event, Rockets General Manager Rafael Stone, Head Coach Ime Udoka, Rockets Guard Reed Sheppard, Rockets Forward Jae’Sean Tate, Bruce Thornton, Bogdan Boganovich, and Rockets Chief Operating Officer Ryan Tanke visited the Houston Police Department - South Central Substation and the Houston Fire Station 8.
Media availability at the event touched on both the meaning of the day and the Rockets’ season ahead. The DreamShake asked Stone about how much stronger the bench could be with the additions of Boganovich and Marcus Smart.
That’s an area Houston badly needed to fix. The Rockets finished as a bottom-five team in bench scoring, which put a heavy load on the starters, especially Kevin Durant and Amen Thompson. Stone and the coaching staff are hoping the new pieces help ease that burden on the first unit.
Stone also pointed out that veterans matter, but said the real key still rests with the young players.
Udoka discussed the significance of the day for him and the organization, and he also talked about what it meant to see his floor general, Fred VanVleet, back on the court.
VanVleet missed all of last season after a season-ending injury in an offseason team workout right before training camp. Houston spent the year trying to absorb the loss at point guard, but never really found a full replacement for what he brought. With VanVleet back, the Rockets believe he could be the missing piece for the next step.
Sheppard, Tate, and rookie Bruce Thornton also spoke about supporting first responders around the city, especially on September 11th, while also expressing excitement for the season to begin.
The next major milestones for Houston are media day and training camp, both expected in the next few weeks. The Rockets open preseason on October 9th with back-to-back games in China against the Dallas Mavericks, then close out exhibition play on October 15 against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Toyota Center.
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