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3 Updates From NBA Media Day That Could Impact the Rockets

3 Updates From NBA Media Day That Could Impact the Rockets

On Monday, the majority of NBA teams held their media days for the 2026-27 season. It is a longstanding tradition for the league’s players to take official photos and answer questions ahead of the upcoming campaign.

NBA News / Houston Rockets on SI / September 28
Can Kevin Durant Match LeBron James’ Career Longevity?

Can Kevin Durant Match LeBron James’ Career Longevity?

Nearing two decades in the NBA, Kevin Durant is still considered to be one of the league’s elite scorers. He scored 2,026 total points last season, finishing behind only Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Jaylen Brown.

Houston Rockets News / Yardbarker Quizzes
The 'NBA all-time scoring leaders' quiz

The 'NBA all-time scoring leaders' quiz

How many of the NBA's top 30 career scorers can you name in five minutes?

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Amen Thompson News / Fadeaway World / September 28
Rockets’ Amen Thompson Shuts Down Shooting Critics With A Confident Statement

Rockets’ Amen Thompson Shuts Down Shooting Critics With A Confident Statement

The Houston Rockets’ guard Amen Thompson recently spoke to the media scrum as the team began training camp ahead of the preseason games. One of the biggest

NBA News / Yardbarker
The 25 greatest NBA Finals performances of all-time

The 25 greatest NBA Finals performances of all-time

The regular season is important, but NBA legends are made in the playoffs. More specifically, it's the Finals where the all-time greats have built their otherworldly reputations.

Houston Rockets News / Houston Rockets on SI / September 27
Rockets Star Amen Thompson Sets Clear Goal for NBA Future

Rockets Star Amen Thompson Sets Clear Goal for NBA Future

Amen Thompson continues to be billed as a potential franchise cornerstone for the Houston Rockets. The 23-year-old guard averaged 18.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.5 steals over 79 games, earning a top-10 finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting.

Kevin Durant News / Hoops Habit / September 27
Rockets' long-overdue Kevin Durant decision stands in the way of a championship

Rockets' long-overdue Kevin Durant decision stands in the way of a championship

The Houston Rockets have spent the last couple of years fighting their way back to relevancy. With the help of Kevin Durant, a legit living legend, Houston has found the playoffs again.

Marcus Smart News / Houston Rockets on SI / September 26
Marcus Smart’s ‘Disrespectful’ Comment Gets Response From Lakers GM

Marcus Smart’s ‘Disrespectful’ Comment Gets Response From Lakers GM

Marcus Smart’s stint with the Los Angeles Lakers ended after just one season. Smart averaged 9.3 points, 3.0 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game over 62 games.

Kevin Durant News / Houston Rockets on SI / September 26
Rockets Star Kevin Durant’s NBA Career Could Have Started Differently

Rockets Star Kevin Durant’s NBA Career Could Have Started Differently

One of the most famous missteps in NBA Draft history is the Portland Trail Blazers choosing to select Greg Oden over Kevin Durant with the No. 1 pick. Oden’s professional basketball career was ultimately sabotaged by multiple injuries, while the 37-year-old Durant is still an elite scorer for the Houston Rockets.

Houston Rockets News / Houston Rockets on SI / September 26
Rockets Star Alperen Sengun Ranked Just Behind Jokic, Wembanyama

Rockets Star Alperen Sengun Ranked Just Behind Jokic, Wembanyama

While there is buzz that Amen Thompson could be the Houston Rockets’ next franchise star, Alperen Sengun has made a stronger case for carrying the torch.

Ime Udoka News / Houston Rockets on SI / September 26
Rockets Coach Ime Udoka Reveals Plan for Starting Point Guard

Rockets Coach Ime Udoka Reveals Plan for Starting Point Guard

Continuing to make progress in his recovery from a season-ending ACL injury, Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet is gearing up to make his return to the court.

NBA News / Yardbarker
The 25 best NBA players to never play in college

The 25 best NBA players to never play in college

Typically, the path to the NBA for most players is to spend at least a season in college to get high-level basketball and important development under their belts.

Houston Rockets News / Fadeaway World / September 26
Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr. Talks Overcoming Young Team Narrative And First-Round Exit Frustrations

Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr. Talks Overcoming Young Team Narrative And First-Round Exit Frustrations

The Rockets began their training camp on September 23, following their media day. After the first two days of training, Jabari Smith Jr. spoke to the media scrum at the facility, describing what the first two days of camp had been like and referencing his takeaways from last season.

Ime Udoka News / Houston Rockets on SI / September 25
Ime Udoka Explains Former Knicks Coach's Visit to Rockets Training Camp

Ime Udoka Explains Former Knicks Coach's Visit to Rockets Training Camp

Houston Rockets training camp started earlier this week, giving the Rockets a chance to acclimate before the start of preseason action in early October.

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The '100-receiving-yard playoff debuts' quiz
 The '100-receiving-yard playoff debuts' quiz
The 'Multiple 30/30 MLB seasons' quiz
 The 'Multiple 30/30 MLB seasons' quiz
The 'Active NFL catch leaders' quiz
 The 'Active NFL catch leaders' quiz
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 The '4K-yard, 30-TD NFL seasons' quiz
NBA News / NBA on ClutchPoints / September 25
Things get interesting when Amen, Ausar Thompson play who’s better?

Things get interesting when Amen, Ausar Thompson play who’s better?

Twin brothers Ausar and Amen Thompson have been closely linked since being drafted by the Rockets and Pistons in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft.

Amen Thompson News / Houston Rockets on SI / September 25
Amen Thompson Can Become NBA Superstar By Reaching This Goal

Amen Thompson Can Become NBA Superstar By Reaching This Goal

Amen Thompson is set to be a central piece of the Houston Rockets’ long-term plans. Earlier this month, Thompson signed a five-year, $208 million contract extension with the franchise.

NBA News / Yardbarker / September 25
Losing Marcus Smart left a dangerous vulnerability in the Lakers' roster

Losing Marcus Smart left a dangerous vulnerability in the Lakers' roster

Following late-season injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, the Los Angeles Lakers played with an all-new starting five in last season's playoffs.

Odds are against Rockets' optimism about better health
JJ Redick jokes that Lakers’ starting 5 won’t be ‘all white guys’
Kevin Durant News / Houston Rockets on SI / September 25
The Ideal NBA Trade Partner for Kevin Durant

The Ideal NBA Trade Partner for Kevin Durant

At 37 years old, Kevin Durant is still considered to be one of the top players in the NBA. Durant averaged 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists over 78 games last season, earning All-NBA Second Team honors.

Houston Rockets News / EssentiallySports / September 25
Charles Barkley Says Kevin Durant’s Leadership Is the Reason Why Rockets Have No Chance Against Spurs or Thunder

Charles Barkley Says Kevin Durant’s Leadership Is the Reason Why Rockets Have No Chance Against Spurs or Thunder

A few years ago, Charles Barkley famously called Kevin Durant a “bus rider” after the superstar chose to join the Golden State Warriors. Now, the NBA icon is taking another shot.

Tom Thibodeau News / NBA on ClutchPoints / September 24
Tom Thibodeau spotted at Rockets practice, and his skinny jeans need to be seen to be believed

Tom Thibodeau spotted at Rockets practice, and his skinny jeans need to be seen to be believed

The Houston Rockets are currently gearing up for the upcoming 2026-27 NBA season, which is slated to get underway in less than a month. The Rockets are hoping that the return of Fred VanVleet will help guide them to a better result than their disappointing first round playoff exit a year ago.

Houston Rockets News / Fadeaway World / September 24
Ime Udoka Reveals How Fred VanVleet’s Return Will Affect Kevin Durant And Alperen Sengun On Offense

Ime Udoka Reveals How Fred VanVleet’s Return Will Affect Kevin Durant And Alperen Sengun On Offense

The Houston Rockets are shaping up to be an interesting team heading into the 2026-27 season. While the core is largely the same, with Kevin Durant‘s veteran experience supporting the young trio of Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun, and Jabari Smith Jr., Fred VanVleet‘s return should add another dimension to the team’s structure.

Houston Rockets News / Yardbarker / September 24
Odds are against Rockets' optimism about better health

Odds are against Rockets' optimism about better health

The Houston Rockets are banking on the return of two veterans who missed all or most of last season. They've also added two veterans not known for staying on the court.

Kevin Durant: Not thinking about retirement or final NBA stop
Dorian Finney-Smith left in limbo after second trade of summer
Marcus Smart: Lakers’ Offer In Free Agency Was ‘Disrespectful’
The '5 3-pointer, 5-steal playoff games' quiz
Marcus Smart News / Larry Brown Sports / September 23
Marcus Smart says the Lakers disrespected him

Marcus Smart says the Lakers disrespected him

Marcus Smart clearly has no love lost for his former team. The new Houston Rockets guard Smart spoke this week in an interview to Varun Shankar of The Houston Chronicle.

Fred VanVleet News / NBA on ClutchPoints / September 23
First look at Fred VanVleet in Rockets training camp after ACL injury

First look at Fred VanVleet in Rockets training camp after ACL injury

The Houston Rockets have gotten their training camp underway this week as they prepare for the upcoming 2026-27 NBA season. The Rockets will be getting point guard Fred VanVleet back this season after he missed the entire 2025-26 season due to a torn ACL injury suffered just prior to the start of that campaign.

Houston Rockets News / Larry Brown Sports / September 23
Steven Adams sees a bizarre culprit that will affect the NBA

Steven Adams sees a bizarre culprit that will affect the NBA

Steven Adams isn’t John Nash, but he just floated a wild game theory – sort of. During the Houston Rockets’ media day on Tuesday, the veteran NBA big man seemingly sent a warning not just to the NBA but also to the NFL about a possible decline in overall performance come November.

Amen Thompson News / Larry Brown Sports / September 23
Amen Thompson reveals first purchase after signing a stunning contract

Amen Thompson reveals first purchase after signing a stunning contract

Amen Thompson is now hundreds of millions richer after landing a contract extension with the Houston Rockets, but you wouldn’t know it from the first item he bought with that money.

NBA News / Yardbarker / September 22
Dorian Finney-Smith left in limbo after second trade of summer

Dorian Finney-Smith left in limbo after second trade of summer

Last summer, Finney-Smith signed with the Houston Rockets, in part because he wanted to return to Texas. Now he's buried on the Atlanta Hawks depth chart after being traded for the second time this summer.

Hawks, Hornets swap veterans in three-player trade
NBA expansion may be too lucrative for owners to pass up
The 'NBA 6th Man of the Year winners' quiz

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