Despite his Rockets being ousted by the Warriors for the fourth time in five seasons, owner Tilman Fertitta is confident Houston will win championships with James Harden.
HOUSTON — After tipping his cap to the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta defiantly guaranteed that James Harden will lead his franchise to championships.
„They kicked our ass on our home court,“ Fertitta said after the Warriors eliminated the Rockets for the fourth time in five seasons, ending Houston’s season with a 118-113 win in Friday’s Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals. „They beat us by 10 points in the fourth quarter. It’s unacceptable, OK? We just have to be better.
„I know that we’re going to rise to the occasion and our time is going to come. James is 30 years old [in August]…. Hakeem [Olajuwon] didn’t win his first championship until [31]. I can promise you, we’re going to win some championships with James Harden, because we are not going to sit here. We will go to battle every year. We’re going to have a strong offseason, and we’re going to do whatever we need to do to be a better team. We are not going to sit on our hands, I can promise you that.“
The Rockets‘ attempts to upgrade their roster after last season fizzled. Houston, coming off an NBA-best 65-win season and pushing the Warriors to seven games in the West finals, made budget-conscious moves, allowing starting small forward Trevor Ariza to leave in free agency and filling out the rotation by signing veterans Carmelo Anthony, James Ennis III and Michael Carter-Williams to minimum contracts. All three of the veteran additions fell out of the rotation and were eventually traded in transactions that helped Houston avoid paying the luxury tax.
