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Houston, meanwhile, wanted Brooks to influence its young core. The Rockets banked that Brooks' toughness and work ethic would set the tone, alongside fellow free agent acquisition Fred VanVleet and recently hired head coach Ime Udoka, as the franchise's rebuild entered what owner Tilman Fertitta termed as "Phase II." After dwelling in or near the West cellar the previous three years, the Rockets made a leap to 41-41 in 2023-24 and 52-30 last season. Brooks embraced his role as a mentor and defensive menace, accepting that he was usually the fifth offensive option in Houston's starting lineup. "He helped change the culture over here," said Rockets guard Amen Thompson, a rising star who was a rookie when Brooks arrived in Houston. "I feel like Houston loves him. They embrace him and that's my guy. That's like a big brother to me."
Houston Rockets ownership is in substantive talks with the Connecticut Sun over the potential purchase and relocation of the WNBA franchise, sources told ESPN this week. The discussions have been described as "positive," and Rockets ownership has improved its offer to a number the Sun might find acceptable, a source close to the situation said. The source said that while a formal offer has been discussed, the parties have not signed an exclusivity agreement and there has not been a decision on the future of the franchise. The WNBA previously indicated strong interest in a return to Houston. At the league's three-team expansion announcement in June, commissioner Cathy Engelbert specifically highlighted Houston and Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta as "up next" and "the one we have our eye on." The Sun have been owned by the Mohegan tribe since 2003, when they bought and relocated the franchise from Orlando, Florida, to Uncasville, Connecticut. A sale to Rockets ownership would mark the latest example of the WNBA moving toward having more teams with NBA owners.
NBA team owner Fertitta lit the brazier, a traditional Italian firepit in the Piazza Ruggero Settimo in the heart of Palermo after receiving the Olympic flame from Inzaghi, to conclude the festivities.
Kevin Durant: “To walk in here every day, you see the attention to detail from everybody — not just the leadership of Rafael and Ime and Tilman but everybody who works in here — the level of detail that it takes to become a successful team and franchise. So happy I’m a part of that. I want to keep working to build and show my worth here.”
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Though the WNBA and the Mohegan Tribe have rarely communicated since that July meeting, the league has made its leaders aware that it has one clear option to resolve this dispute: They could sell the Sun to the league for $250 million, which would then sell it to Tilman Fertitta and allow him to move the team to Houston, multiple sources said.
The likes of Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Zion Williamson, and Devin Booker will be linked in the rumor mill in the coming weeks, all with different pros and cons depending on Houston’s direction. Team sources say the Rockets will monitor the market closely and will hold internal discussions about potential fits and offers.
Dallas Mavericks owner Miriam Adelson gave $1 million to President Donald Trump’s inauguration committee, according to a recent FEC filing, one of at least a dozen sports owners and sports companies that donated to the celebration marking Trump’s return to the White House.
Other individuals who donated include Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta ($1 million), multiple members of the DeVos family that owns the Orlando Magic ($1 million combined) and multiple members of the Ricketts family that owns the Chicago Cubs ($1.6 million combined). Companies include sportsbooks DraftKings ($502,000) and FanDuel ($482,003.73), and trading platform Robinhood ($2 million), which is pushing into sports futures markets that look a lot like betting.
Houston billionaire businessman Tilman Fertitta will resign as as CEO of Landry's, Inc., as well as the roughly 600 dining, gaming and entertainment locations the company has grown to include, if confirmed as U.S. Ambassador to Italy and San Marino, he said in a letter to the U.S. Office of Government Ethics. "Upon confirmation, I will resign from my positions with the entities listed in Appendix A," Fertitta said in the letter, dated March 16. "I am eligible to receive a severance payment from Fertitta Entertainment, LLC, but I have elected to forfeit it. I will receive a lump sum payment of my deferred compensation plan following my resignation. Additionally, I will continue to retain a passive interest in these entities, but I will not provide services material to the production of income. Instead, I will receive only passive investment income. With regard to each of these entities, I will not participate personally and substantially in any particular matter that to my knowledge has a direct and predicable effect on the financial interests of the entity or its underlying holdings, unless I first obtain a written waiver pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 208(b)(1)."
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In addition to resigning from his businesses, Fertitta said, he will resign a number of civic positions at organizations including the Greater Houston Partnership, the Texas Heart Institute, and the University of Houston System, where he currently serves as chair of the Board of Regents, a position he has held for a decade. He will not be stepping away from his ownership interest in the Houston Rockets National Basketball Association franchise.
Sources said Houston “is probably the most positioned’’ for the 17th team largely because the Rockets recently built a 75,000 square-foot practice facility, owner Tilman Fertitta is reportedly worth more than $10B and they have an NBA infrastructure that is appealing to the league. “The Comets are also an amazing brand, and it’s stunning they even left the league,” said a source, referencing the four-time champion Comets folding in 2008 due to $4M annual losses.
Tilman Fertitta, the owner of the Houston Rockets, has also submitted a bid to the WNBA for an expansion team, a spokesperson for the Rockets confirmed to The Athletic. The prospective team would play its games at the Toyota Center, where the Rockets play.