Rockets' Christian Wood On Astros First Pitch - ‘Amazing Experience’
HOUSTON — Houston Rockets' Christian Wood has spent most of the off-season in his hometown of Los Angeles — working out and enjoying his time off. But over the previous few days, Wood returned to Houston to spend more time with his teammates.
Wood's return to Houston led him to Minute Maid Park Wednesday evening to witness his first MLB game. Before the AL West contest between the Houston Astros and the Seattle Mariners, Wood took part in the ceremonial first pitch.
The 6-foot-11 big man took to the mound and completed a pitch that drifted right of the strike zone.
"This is amazing," Wood said. "This is the very first baseball game in my life. It's an amazing experience. I am happy to be here to support the team. It's an H-Town favorite [the Astros] who was in the Worlds Series last season."
Wood said having the opportunity to throw the first pitch meant a lot. Houston became the first city Wood had a chance to establish himself as one of the league's multitalented big men.
While appearing in 109 games over the last two seasons, Wood found stability with the Rockets while averaging 19.1 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks across 31.4 minutes played.
Before joining the Rockets as a free agent in December of 2020, Wood played for five different franchises after going undrafted in 2015. Wood played in 113 games averaging 9.5 points in 16.2 minutes, 4.8 rebounds and 0.7 blocks. He played for the 76ers, Hornets, Bucks, Pelicans and Pistons.
Wood's future with the franchise remains uncertain with the 2022 NBA Draft 14 days away. He revealed when speaking to the media that he has had contract talks with the Rockets and expects conversations to continue throughout the summer.
The Astros granted Wood's wish to enjoy a great game, but his experience ended in a loss. The Astros jumped out to an early 3-1 lead over the Mariners before Seattle took control in the fourth inning.
The Astros gave up four runs in the fourth inning en route to a 6-3 defeat to the Mariners. Seattle won their three-game series against the Astros in a 3-1 victory.
