Inside The Rockets

8 Former Rockets to Play on Christmas Day

Houston Rockets fans may see some familiar faces playing on Christmas Day.

Jeremy Brener

Nov 6, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul (3) brings the ball up the court during the first quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Nov 6, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul (3) brings the ball up the court during the first quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
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The Houston Rockets are on the couch for Christmas Day, but some familiar faces to the organization will be part of the league's headlining games.

Today, in the league's five-game Christmas slate, the San Antonio Spurs visit the New York Knicks, the Minnesota Timberwolves face off against the Dallas Mavericks, the Philadelphia 76ers battle with the Boston Celtics, the Los Angeles Lakers go to war with the Golden State Warriors and the Denver Nuggets take on the Phoenix Suns.

Here's a look at eight former Rockets who could see the court today:

Chris Paul, San Antonio Spurs

Paul was with the Rockets from 2017-19 and now he is leading the in-state rival Spurs with Victor Wembanyama as his running mate.

Daishen Nix, Minnesota Timberwolves

Nix has played in just three games this season for the Wolves.

Kyle Lowry, Eric Gordon, KJ Martin, Philadelphia 76ers

Lowry has been in and out of the rotation and Gordon is questionable with an illness, but Martin has gotten an opportunity to play more minutes with so many absences from the roster.

Christian Wood, Los Angeles Lakers

Wood is dealing with a knee injury and hasn't played this season for the Lakers.

Russell Westbrook, Denver Nuggets

Westbrook spent one season with the Rockets in 2019-20 and has bounced around the league since with the Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and now the Nuggets.

TyTy Washington, Phoenix Suns

Washington, a first-round pick by the Rockets in the 2022 NBA Draft, is on a two-way deal with the Suns.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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