Rockets Owner's WNBA Interest Reveals One Major Thing

Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta'a interest in purchasing a WNBA team says a lot about Fertitta's growth.

Feb 19, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta watches during the game / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

It wasn't that long ago when Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta was a constant target by the Rockets fanbase. Fertitta was the new guy who many viewed as a change agent or a source of disruption from how things had been conducted by the previous ownership.

Fertitta was also an inexperienced owner, who hadn’t yet mastered how to stay in the background. Understandably so, as one wouldn’t keep a new Maserati parked immediately after purchasing it, right?

There would be a sense of pride and enjoyment of having been able to pull off such a big purchase, especially if it’s something you’ve wanted for a long time.

However, Fertitta found himself fighting a losing battle, as every time he spoke, his naysayers grew even more disdain. Fast forward seven years and Fertitta has mirrored an entirely different person. He’s sitting next to C.J. Stroud at Rockets games, while even hosting prominent rappers like Drake and 50 Cent, which have been major culture wins for the Rockets owner.

Perhaps Fertitta’s biggest culture win came in recent days, when he expressed his desire to add a WNBA franchise to the city of Houston once more.

Women’s hoops has grown significantly over the last several years and it’s now bigger than ever. And it’s still growing. Houston once had the greatest dynasty in the history of the WNBA and one of the greatest dynasties in all of sports in the Houston Comets, who won four consecutive championships in their first four seasons.

The Comets were owned by former Rockets owner Les Alexander and were ran by former Rockets GM Carroll Dawson. Houstonians miss those days and miss that feeling.

Kudos to Fertitta for seeking to be the one to give that back to them. His growth as a prominent Houston sports leader has been on display and he deserves credit for it. Especially considering the slander and ridicule he’s received from the start. It’s only right to give him his praise now.

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