Every July offseason, Houston Rockets watchers and other NBA players eagerly await the draft, free agency and potential trades. After the initial flurry of signings and trades, offseason news begins to slow down considerably, especially in August and September.
Now that the NBA’s slow season is in full swing, let’s take a look at what else will happen before the season starts.
If you’ve ever seen any Rockets practice footage, you know the practice facility is in need of an upgrade. The Rockets have long been rumored to be considering a move to a new facility, dating back to Leslie Alexander’s days as owner of the team. Current Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta even hinted at it earlier this past season.
Tilman Fertitta joked that he “really screwed up” when he revealed he was building a $70 million training facility that he said will be located in the Galleria neighborhood. He had planned to make a formal announcement. pic.twitter.com/Cty1GrfPYp
–Mark Berman (@MarkBerman_) April 26, 2023
Fertitta has finally confirmed the long-rumored new facility.
The Rockets are unveiling parts of the new practice facility today as the media tours the new facility. pic.twitter.com/T3NWPTQ7dQ
— Lachard Binkley (@BinkleyHoops) December 12, 2023
The new facility will be used for practices, as an office for the Rockets’ coaching staff, management staff, player recovery and even team events. Fertitta also mentioned how it will help the team during free agent meetings and to retain current players.
As of today, it is hoped that the installation will be ready during the month of September.
The unofficial start of the Rockets’ season is usually media day, which precedes training camp. It’s the first time most fans have seen their team in the same place in several months. It’s also the first time since summer league or the introductory press conference that fans have heard from the team’s new members.
Here at #Rockets Media Day at the Toyota Center! pic.twitter.com/iw6NGODila
— Randy McIlvoy (@KPRC2RandyMc) October 2, 2023
The day after Media Day (currently scheduled for September 30), training camp begins and it’s the first time everyone has been on the field together since the end of last season. We start to see how the team’s cohesion is coming together and we get a little glimpse of what each player has been working on in the offseason.
You will also be able to hear what players think about what they see on the field during training.
That’s another thing that stood out to me during my time at training camp: the amount of teaching and direction from the coaches and veterans. That’s something you don’t always get with a very young team like in previous years. https://t.co/8yIlXCBvWJ pic.twitter.com/8kJiusrH8B
— Lachard Binkley (@BinkleyHoops) October 7, 2023
While we haven’t received a specific date or location, training camp typically runs Tuesday through Friday during the first week of October and will likely begin on October 1. Last season, it was held in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and there’s a good chance it will be held there again this year.
Training camp is even more crucial for a Rockets team trying to transform from a comeback story last season into a legitimate threat for a playoff spot this season.
We’re over two months away from the start of the season, so there’s still plenty of time before Rockets fans get to see their favorite team on the court, but at least for the next two months, they’ll have something to look forward to until the season starts.
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