Inside The Rockets

Important Events Coming Up for the Rockets Before the Start of the Season

Outlining the upcoming important events for the Rockets before the season starts.

Lachard Binkley

Apr 9, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) stands in the pregame huddle prior to the game against the Orlando Magic at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 9, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) stands in the pregame huddle prior to the game against the Orlando Magic at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports / Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports
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Every offseason, during July, Houston Rockets observers and others around the NBA look forward to the draft, free agency, and possible trades. After the initial rush of signings and trades, offseason news starts to slow considerably, especially in August and September.

Now that the NBA's slow season is in full swing let's look at what is still going to occur before the start of the season.

Opening of the Rockets Training Facility in September

If you have ever seen practice footage of the Rockets, you know the practice facility needs an upgrade. It has been long rumored that the Rockets were looking to move to a new facility, going back to when Leslie Alexander owned the team. Current Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta even mentioned it earlier last season.

Fertitta finally confirmed the long-talked-about new facility.

The new facility will be used for practice, an office for Rockets coaching staff, front office personnel, player recovery, and even team events. Fertitta also mentioned how this will help the team during free agent pitch meetings and keeping current players.

As of today, the hope is that the facility will be ready sometime in September.

Media Day and Training Camp in Late September/Early October

The unofficial start of the Rockets season usually is media day, which leads into training camp. Media day is the first time most fans have seen their team in one place for several months. It is also the first time since summer league or the introductory press conference that fans hear from the team's newest members.

The day after Media Day (currently projected to be Sep. 30), training camp starts, and that is the first time that everyone is on the court together since the end of the prior season. You begin to see how the team chemistry is coming together and a small glimpse into what each player has worked on during the offseason.

You also get to hear how the players feel about what they are seeing on the court during practice.

Although we haven't received a definite date or location, training camp commonly occurs Tuesday through Friday during the first week of October and will likely kick off on Oct. 1. Last season, it was held in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and there's a good chance it will be held there again this year.

Training camp is even more critical for a Rockets team trying to transform itself from a nice comeback story last season into a legitimate threat for a playoff spot this season.

We are over two months away from the start of the season, so there is still plenty of time before Rockets fans get to see their favorite team on the court, but at least for the next two months, they will have something to look forward to until the season starts.

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Lachard Binkley

LACHARD BINKLEY

Lachard is a lifelong Houstonian who has followed the Rockets since the 80s. He is a credential reporter covering the Rockets and Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

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