Rockets Ex KJ Martin: Houston Has 'Spot in My Heart'

“My three years there, obviously, we didn’t have the best seasons, but I went out there and competed and I put on for the city and gave the fans a show," former Rockets forward KJ Martin said. "Houston always got a spot in my heart for sure.”

Jeremy Brener | Jan 1, 2024

Rockets Ex KJ Martin: Houston Has 'Spot in My Heart' /

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Houston Rockets

Even though he didn't play on Friday night, Philadelphia 76ers forward KJ Martin got his opportunity to visit his first NBA home when his team played the Houston Rockets.

Martin spent his first three seasons with the Rockets before being traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in the offseason. Months later, Martin was dealt again to the Sixers in the James Harden deal.

LaMelo Ball KJ Martin Hornets — Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Playing for one of the best teams in the league has cut Martin's playing time down significantly. He's only played 10 minutes or more on two occasions with Philly and is averaging just 1.7 points per game, far less than his 12.7 points per game average a year ago.

Martin expressed excitement about returning to Houston for the first time as a visitor.

“A lot of people put out that our team that — because we were losing every game, we weren’t learning anything,” Martin said via Sixers Wire's Ky Carlin. “Like we just played the wrong way and this and that. Me? I took every game seriously. Whatever the game plan was, I stuck to the game plan, and I played the right way every game and for my first three seasons, I just tried to build on it game by game, season by season, to become a better player.

“My three years there, obviously, we didn’t have the best seasons, but I went out there and competed and I put on for the city and gave the fans a show. Houston always got a spot in my heart for sure.”

Woj: Trade Deadline Will Have 'Lots of Buyers'; Rockets Included?

Martin was one of Houston's bright spots during the last three years of darkness. Given the hits to the team's forward depth with injuries to Jabari Smith Jr. and Dillon Brooks, having a player like Martin would be ideal, but the NBA is a business and Martin figured that out in his time with the Rockets.

Published Jan 1, 2024

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.