Houston Rockets Owner Tilman Fertitta Selected To Be US Ambassador To Italy

Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta will serve as the US Ambassador to Italy, as president-elect Donald Trump named the businessman as his pick this weekend. Fertitta, who has a long-standing relationship with Donald Trump, has been trusted to serve as the Ambassador to one of the most important countries in the European continent.

Fertitta, who is the owner of Landry's Inc., is one of the richest men in the world, with an estimated net worth of $10.4 billion. He bought the Houston Rockets in 2017, paying $2.2 billion to previous owner Leslie Alexander. During his tenure as Rockets owner, the Rockets have lost several superstars such as James Harden, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, and John Wall.

The Rockets are currently in the process of rebuilding their team. Having built a strong roster in the last few years, the Rockets are doing quite well, as they sit third in the Western Conference with a 19-9 record, one of the best in the NBA.

It will be interesting to see whether Fertitta's new government position will have any impact on his ownership of the Rockets. Historically, the NBA hasn't had an active owner of a franchise be part of the United States government. And there could be a significant conflict of interest there.

Should the NBA deem the circumstances right, Fertitta might be forced to sell the team, or at least appoint a controlling governor during his stint as US Ambassador so as to not interfere with his duties as owner, nor to leverage the franchise for any kind of political gain, stroke, or propagandistic purposes.

It is very possible the NBA's officials will convene on this matter and see what is the correct course of action that needs to be taken following the announcement of Fertitta's appointment.