Fred VanVleet is One of the Biggest Reasons for the Rockets' Reputation Change

The Houston Rockets have come a long way from the days of being the punchline of NBA jokes. Long gone are the days of double-digit losing streaks and planning for the following season with 30 games left.

The Rockets hit rock bottom after James Harden was traded away to the Brooklyn Nets in 2021. The Rockets had their three worst seasons between 2021 and 2023. They only won 59 games in those three seasons and knew after the 2023 season that they needed to make a change.

The Rockets entered the 2023 offseason seeking to change the narrative surrounding the team and began with the hiring of Ime Udoka. With a head coach in place, the Rockets also wanted to make a change on the court. The Rockets were one of the youngest teams in the NBA for the three previous seasons and needed more experienced leadership on the court.

The Rockets wasted no time in bringing in that leadership by signing Dillon Brooks and former All-Star and NBA champion Fred VanVleet. VanVleet's signing especially helps change the perspective of the Rockets around the league.

VanVleet brought leadership, experience and the stability the Rockets had been missing for several seasons. The Rockets were one of the worst teams in the league in terms of turnovers during those three down seasons before VanVleet was brought to the team.

In VanVleet's first season, he averaged a career high in assists and helped the Rockets have their best turnover season in franchise history. That also translated to wins on the court, as the Rockets improved by a league-best 19 games in 2024-25. That improvement showed the rest of the league that the Rockets were no longer a doormat in the NBA.

VanVleet and the Rockets continued their winning ways the next season as they finished with 52 wins and made their first playoff appearance since 2020. VanVleet has been the Rockets' leader since his first day in training camp, and that continued in the Rockets' most successful season in five years. The Rockets' continued success played a big part in their ability to trade for Kevin Durant.

VanVleet has been a model citizen on and off the court since signing and is well-respected around the league. That became even more evident after news broke on Saturday that VanVleet would become the next president of the players' association, as first reported by ESPN.

VanVleet took over for the embattled CJ McCollum, who had been the players association president for the last four years. With the latest news about VanVleet's newest position in the NBA, he continues to bring positive attention to the Rockets and has been a major reason the Rockets have gone from NBA bottom-dwellers to a well-respected team around the NBA.