With it being the 25th anniversary of the 911 attacks, people around the world remember the people who were lost that day and honor the heroes who sacrifice their lives not only that day but every day of the year. Organizations across the city, including the Houston Rockets, took part in events celebrating the role first responders play in our everyday lives.
The Rockets have held events for several years to show their appreciation for 911 Dispatchers, firefighters, police, and all first responders across the city. Last year, the Rockets visited the Tunnel to Towers Foundation to serve lunch to military veterans on Patriot Day.
For the 25th anniversary, the Rockets, Houston Comets, and Toyota Center staff will visit the remaining Houston Police Department and Houston Fire Department stations to deliver T-shirts, collectibles, premium snacks, and complimentary tickets to an upcoming Rockets home game.
On Saturday, the Rockets will support the 9/11 Heroes Run hosted by the Travis Manion Foundation. For today’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 all visited the Houston Police Department – South Central Substation and the Houston Fire Station 8.
During the event, the media spoke with each individual about what this day means to them and the upcoming season. The DreamShake asked Stone how much better the bench will be this season with the additions of Boganovich and Marcus Smart.
The Rockets were a bottom-five team in the league in bench scoring, which forced them to rely heavily on their starters, particularly Kevin Durant and Amen Thompson. Stone and the coaching staff hope they have improved that part of the team so there isn’t so much pressure on the starting five.
Stone also said it is good to have veterans on the team, but ultimately it comes down to the young players.
Udoka also spoke with the media about what this day means to him and the organization, and how it felt to see his floor general, Fred VanVleet, back on the court.
VanVleet missed all of last season after suffering a season-ending injury right before training camp during an offseason team workout. The Rockets spent all season trying to make up for the loss of their point guard but never replicated what VanVleet brought to the team. Now, with VanVleet’s return, the Rockets hope he is the missing piece they need to take the next step this upcoming season.
Reed Sheppard, Jae’Sean Tate, and rookie Bruce Thornton also spoke to the media about what it feels like to support first responders around the city, especially on September 11th. They also talked about the upcoming season and how excited they are to get it started.
The Rockets’ next big event is media day and training camp, which should take place in the next few weeks. The Rockets play their first preseason game on October 9th as they travel to China to take on the Dallas Mavericks in back-to-back games, then finish their preseason on October 15 against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Toyota Center.
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