Inside The Rockets

Rockets' Jalen Green Reveals Motivation

Jalen Green is inspired and motivated both on and off the court to perform well for the Houston Rockets.

Jeremy Brener

Nov 6, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) shoots the ball during the third quarter against the San Antonio Spurs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Nov 6, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) shoots the ball during the third quarter against the San Antonio Spurs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
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Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green is a new father and has a family that he works for, which fuels his desire and passion for basketball.

But he also has motivations to be the best player he can be for the team that drafted him No. 2 overall in the 2021 NBA Draft.

“Just winning in general,” Green said via The Athletic insider Kelly Iko. “When you win, everything else will take care of itself. You see what we did last year, going on that 11-game winning streak trying to chase the Play-In. We got a taste of it, and that’s what the young core needed. We haven’t seen that in all three years. That just drove us as a group and gave us extra push, being able to see what that tastes like.”

Green went through a lot of ups and downs to start his career, but now, he feels a sense of being grounded. He has a family that adds to his stability off the court, but on the court, he has veterans that complement him well, a coach who believes in him, and a sense of understanding of what's expected of him. On top of that, a $106 million contract extension for the next three seasons starting in 2025-26.

Green now has something he hasn't had in his first four NBA seasons — comfort.

That comfort and stability should allow him to be the best version of himself for the Rockets.

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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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