Inside The Rockets

Rockets' Jalen Green Highlights Culture Changes

Jalen Green and the Houston Rockets have dramatically changed their culture over the past few years.

Jeremy Brener

Dec 14, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) controls the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) during the second quarter in a semifinal of the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images
Dec 14, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) controls the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) during the second quarter in a semifinal of the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images / Candice Ward-Imagn Images
In this story:

Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green has been through a lot since arriving to the team as the No. 2 overall pick following the 2021 NBA Draft.

He's been through a lot of losing, but he's also grown and changed a lot, especially in the last two seasons under head coach Ime Udoka.

Green spoke before the team's NBA Cup matchup and explained the changes that were made from the passing of the torch from Stephen Silas to Udoka.

"I would say just how we all interact with each other. It’s more so a family, not a group. The way we handle losses, the way we handle wins, the way we communicate on the court … it’s very different from when I was first here, and the people I had around. Not a discredit to those people, but it’s just a different level of winning basketball," Green said via NBA h/t Rockets Wire's Ben DuBose.

Last season was about changing the culture inside the Rockets organization, and this year is about cultivating that. The Rockets appear to be in a much better place at 17-9 through the first 26 games of the season, and if they continue that level of success, they will be back in the postseason for the first time since the 2020 COVID-bubble playoffs in Orlando.

Want to join the discussion? Like Rockets on SI Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Rockets news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.

Published
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.

Home/News