Houston Rockets Starting to Receive More National Attention

The Houston Rockets have come a long way from national media afterthought to a team on the rise.

Dec 11, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason (17) celebrates after the game against the Golden State Warriors at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

During the James Harden era, the Houston Rockets' appearances on national television were often overlooked.

The team typically featured in 20 to 30 national broadcasts yearly, and most people barely noticed. However, in the 2017-18 season, the Rockets were televised 28 times. In Russell Westbrook's lone season with the team, the Rockets appeared on national TV in nearly half of their games, totaling 38 broadcasts.

That quickly changed after Harden's unceremonious exit in 2021. Once the rebuild started, the Rockets were seen as a young team with potential but not a team that anyone would want to watch outside of Houston. In the prior two seasons, the Rockets played on national TV a combined total of six times.

If you look even more profound, it gets worse. Four games were on NBA TV, and only two were on ESPN. For the 2023-24 season, the Rockets improved by a league-best 19 games and finished 41-41. With exciting players such as Jalen Green, Amen Thompson, and Alperen Sengun, the Rockets have started to garner more attention.

The improvement earned the Rockets 11 national games, eight on NBA TV, two on TNT, and one on ESPN. The two TNT games mark the first time the Rockets have appeared on TNT since James Harden's departure.

The number has risen since the schedule was released. The Rockets advanced to the semifinals in the NBA Cup and played their last home game against the Golden State Warriors, broadcast on TNT. Their semifinal game will be in Las Vegas against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Rockets' victory against the Warriors on national television is promising, as it could lead to more games being featured on TNT or ESPN. Depending on the matchups, the NBA occasionally shifts some of its later games from local broadcasts to national networks.

The NBA itself has put the Rockets in the forefront with their marketing since the win over the Warriors

One of the league's most exciting young teams🚀

Check out the best plays from the Houston Rockets run to the #EmiratesNBACup Semifinals 🏆

They take on the Thunder tomorrow at 8:30pm/et on ABC! pic.twitter.com/G7jrrGx9kF

— NBA (@NBA) December 13, 2024

The NBA has shared several posts dedicated to the Rockets in anticipation of their matchup against the Thunder on Saturday night. It's not just the Rockets' advancement in the tournament that has garnered national attention; their strong start to the season has also captured the interest of fans who typically do not follow the team.

The Rockets have come a long way since losing a franchise record 20 games in a row in the 2020-2021 season. Gone are the days when the Rockets languished at the bottom of the standings. Now, the Rockets are emerging as one of the best teams in the NBA, and people are starting to notice.

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