Ben McLemore, Robert Covington Take Up Fishing in NBA Bubble

The Rockets continued their preparation for the season's restart in recent days, holding the team's first 5-on-5 practice in over four months on Tuesday. But Houston is still finding ways to enjoy itself as it prepares for an extended stay in Orlando. 

Houston settled in to the Grand Floridian Resort on July 9, bringing plenty of shoes and even an extra television to help with the move. On Sunday, the Rockets began to truly explore their surroundings. 

Rockets guard Ben McLemore and forward Robert Covington went out on the water at the Walt Disney World resort on Sunday, catching fish alongside assistant athletic trainer Motoki Fujii. McLemore and Covington appeared pleased with their outing on Twitter.

Covington discussed his affinity for fishing on Tuesday. Houston's forward also noted he plans to play golf during his time in Orlando. 

"Just being out there on the water, stuff like that is team bonding" Covington told the media in a Zoom call. "I like fishing a lot, it's a calming thing. You can have fun, go out, enjoy it. I'll be doing that a lot while I'm out here. ...I just want to keep doing things that spark my interest, and stay active outside of basketball."

The Rockets will continue to practice throughout next week ahead of their first scrimmage on July 24. Houston will hold three scrimmages before facing Dallas in the first game of the restart on July 31. 

Houston currently sits No. 6 in the Western Conference at 40–24. The Rockets are currently tied with Oklahoma City and one game back of the Jazz for the No. 4 seed.