Rockets Continue to Give Back to the Houston Community

The Houston Rockets host their second annual back-to-school event

The Houston Rockets held their second annual back-to-school bash Saturday at the SunnySide Community Center. During the event, the Rockets and representatives from Reliant Energy passed out school supplies and backpacks. With the help of Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, they also held free health screenings and scoliosis testing. Local barbers provided free haircuts, and a chef even taught lessons on how to cook healthy meals.

In addition to the free supplies and health screenings, the Rockets hosted a basketball clinic for the kids in attendance. Rockets forward Jae'Sean Tate and former Houston Rocket Rafer Alston helped lead the clinic, practicing drills and providing insight to the participants on different aspects of being a basketball player. Tate also spoke about being able to give back to the community.

I ask Jae’Sean how he would have felt as a kid being able to come back to school events like this

“I would feel excited I would feel great that I can just go somewhere have fun and be around the people that impact our community” pic.twitter.com/kt9nHVNsg1

— Lachard Binkley (@BinkleyHoops) August 10, 2024

Tate has been helping the Houston community since joining the Rockets in 2020. He has consistently said that Houston is like his second home and feels obligated to continue giving back.

We also heard from New York streetball legend and former Rocket point guard Alston about his connection to Houston even after all these years.

I asked Rafer Alston how does it feel still being able to give back to the Houston community

“It what keeps me here staying involved with the Rockets every time they ask I’ll be here” pic.twitter.com/oiXq3ypxDB

— Lachard Binkley (@BinkleyHoops) August 10, 2024

Alston and his elite ball handling were, in many ways, the inspiration for the AND 1 Mixtape Tour, which grew in popularity in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Alston would go on to have a long NBA career, playing over ten years, including four seasons for the Rockets from 2005 to 2009. Despite Alston being a New York legend, he has made Houston his home and continues supporting the people in this community.

Gretchen Sheirr, the Rockets' President of Business Operations, spoke to the media. She discussed the Rockets organization's ability to help families with school supplies, health screenings, and whatever support the community needs. Sheir also discussed the excellent collaboration between past and present Rocket players and how they want to continue to grow the event in the future.

The Rockets and its players have continued to help the Houston community throughout the years, from back-to-school events and holiday meals to assisting the people of Houston after major storms. Today was the latest example of the Rockets supporting the greater Houston area.

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