Why Rockets Ex Willie Cauley-Stein Left NBA for Italy

Willie Cauley-Stein spent last season with the Houston Rockets organization.

Jeremy Brener | Sep 17, 2023

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Houston Rockets

After nearly a decade of experience in the NBA, former Houston Rockets center Willie Cauley-Stein is looking for greener pastures.

He believes he's found them in Italy with Openjobmetis Varese, a club in the country's top division, after signing with them back in late July.

Cauley-Stein opened up as to why he left the NBA to play overseas.

“When I chose to come to Italy I forced myself not to have expectations; it was my choice because there is often the risk of being disappointed," Cauley-Stein said via Sportando.

Mar 5, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Willie Cauley-Stein (2) shoots prior to the game against the San Antonio Spurs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams / Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

"Here in Varese, however, I must say that I have found a great organization and strong teammates, I am very happy. I chose to come to Europe because of the more ‘tactical’ way of playing compared to the 1vs1 basketball that is played today in the NBA, which is conditioned by the players’ desire to produce personal statistics. Here in Europe every game and every ball is important, not like in the NBA where all 82 games are equal…”.

Cauley-Stein's last year in the NBA was with the Rockets organization. He signed with the team last October but failed to make the NBA roster out of training camp. He spent most of his time in the G League, but found a way to Houston a few times, ultimately ending the season on the active roster.

However, if all goes well for Cauley-Stein overseas, it could be the last time the former No. 6 overall pick has any footprints in the NBA.

Published Sep 17, 2023

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.