The Excitement Around the Rockets Has Reached Its Highest Levels in Years

The Houston Rockets have come a long way since losing 20 games in a row in the 2020-21 season. That season saw the Rockets transform from a perennial playoff team to a team undergoing a complete rebuild. Russell Westbrook, Darryl Morey, and Mike D'Antoni all departed the team during the previous offseason, and franchise player James Harden followed suit a few months later.

Before the 2020-21 season, the Rockets were one of the most talked-about teams in the NBA. Harden was an MVP candidate year in and year out, and the Rockets were seen as championship contenders for several seasons. Their best chance of course came in the 2017-18 season when they came one Chris Paul hamstring away from making the NBA Finals.

After Harden requested a trade out of Houston and the Rockets embraced the rebuild, interest in the team waned not just around the world but even in Houston itself. The Rockets would suffer multiple long losing streaks, with the 20-game losing streak mentioned above setting a franchise record. In fact, from 2020-21 to the 2022-23 season, the Rockets had their worst three-year record in franchise history.

Games at the Toyota Center were empty primarily during this time as the Rockets continued to rebuild their roster. The Rockets during that time would only get one nationally televised game for an entire season. That slowly started to change in 2023-24 as the Rockets closed the door on the rebuilding phase and started to lean more into veteran players who could help them win right away.

The Rockets would go on to win 41 games that season as they fought for a playoff spot up until the last couple of weeks. The following season is when the Rockets really started to make noise around the league.

The Houston Rockets Became the Surprise of the NBA, which brought the Excitement Back to Houston

Coming into last season, many fans and media felt the Rockets could slip into the playoffs as a possible eighth or ninth seed and try to make the playoffs as a play-in team as they continue to improve. The Rockets had other ideas as they not only made the playoffs but finished second in the tough Western Conference.

Players like Alperen Sengun, who became a first-time All-Star and second-year forward Amen Thompson, who made first-team All-Defense, burst onto the scene and became two of the best young players in the NBA.

The success last season has put the Rockets in the upper echelon of teams when it comes to national attention. That attention would only increase with the addition of future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant. The addition of Durant has the Rockets as a championship contender for the first time since 2018-19, the season following the Rockets ' seven-game loss to the Golden State Warriors.

During Thursday's event, where the Houston Rockets hosted an event honoring veterans, Rockets President of Business Operations, Gretchen Sheir, spoke about the increase in the Rockets' season ticket base from the previous season.

Rockets President of Business Operations Gretchen Sheir talks about how excitement around the team is as high as it’s been in awhile.

“Our season ticket base is up 25%.” pic.twitter.com/irxaEIv6Ns
— Lachard Binkley (@BinkleyHoops) September 11, 2025

That is a massive accomplishment for a team that just a few years ago lost 20 games in a row and was an afterthought for most NBA fans. The Rockets will be part of the NBA opening night game as they visit the Oklahoma City Thunder on opening night and will also be playing the NBA marquee franchise, the Los Angeles Lakers. Those high-profile games and the increase in season ticket sales show just how much excitement is surrounding the 2025-26 Rockets.