Rockets Honor First Responders and Military Veterans Throughout Houston

The Houston Rockets and Toyota partner on Patriots Day, Sept. 11, to honor the men and women of the military and first responders throughout the Houston area. Rockets staff will visit each police station and fire department to distribute T-shirts and ticket vouchers to an upcoming game this season.

The Rockets have made this an annual event as they want to honor those who protect our country and are on the front lines when they are needed the most. Last year, the Houston Rockets staffed along with Rockets general manager Rafael Stone, head coach Ime Udoka and players, including Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard. visited the 911 call center in Houston. They toured the facility and supplied the entire staff with lunch and Rockets apparel.

Along with visiting first responders throughout Houston today, the Rockets will be visiting Tunnels to Towers Veterans Village. Tunnels to Towers Veterans Village is an organization that provides permanent and transitional housing, along with support services, to veterans throughout the Greater Houston area.

The Rockets staff will serve lunch to the veterans who live there and supply snacks for the common area, as well as distribute shirts and ticket vouchers for future Rockets games. Rafael Stone, Gretchen Sheir, and Ime Udoka spoke about the importance of honoring veterans and first responders.

Ime Udoka and Rafael Stone talk about what it means to them and the organization to be able to come out and support the veterans. pic.twitter.com/96M3oIOgPy
— Lachard Binkley (@BinkleyHoops) September 11, 2025

Tunnels to Towers Veterans Village also provides support for mental health and any services needed to help veterans get back on their feet. The Rockets organization helped distribute Chick-fil-A box lunches and walked around, talking to the veterans as they shared their military experiences and thanked the Rockets for their support.

The loudest cheers of the day went to legendary Rockets head coach Rudy Tomjanovich. Tomjanovich helped lead the Rockets to back-to-back championships in 1994 and 1995. Even before those championships, Tomjanovich was a Rockets legend, playing his entire career with the then San Diego Rockets and then the Houston Rockets before becoming an assistant and then a championship head coach.

Tomjanovich, Udoka, Gretchen Sheir and Rafael Stone made it a point to take pictures with anyone who requested and really listen to the people who live at the facility. The event highlighted the sacrifices that men and women in the military and first responders have made not during the horrific events of Sept. 11, but the efforts and differences they make every day.

The Houston Rockets will aim to bring the city of Houston its first championship since 1995. The excitement around the team is as high as it has been in years, and a lot of attention will be on them this season. The Rockets are usually the center of attention when it comes to basketball in Houston, but today they wanted to shine the spotlight on the men and women whose sacrifices should never be forgotten.