$10.9 billion worth Rockets' owner set to be Donald Trump's choice for Italian Ambassador - Report

Since 2017, the Houston Rockets have been bankrolled by billionaire Tilman Fertitta. While their postseason fortunes for the past seven years haven't exactly yielded the best returns, Fertitta, worth $10.9 billion as per Forbes, appears to be set for a political jackpot. His pot of gold: a designation handed down by the incoming US president.

If the report by CBS senior White House reporter Jennifer Jacobs is to be believed, the Rockets' team owner is set to become the next US ambassador to Italy. Though the Fertitta camp hasn't officially commented on these speculations, Fertitta's lineage and political alignment could make this appointment very likely to happen.

The Houston Rockets' owner supported Donald Trump's campaign

To begin with, Fertitta is of Italian descent. According to a 2019 piece published in "Houstonia Magazine," his ancestors emigrated from Sicily before settling in Texas, and Fertitta himself is a Galveston native, born in 1957.

During the 2024 US Presidential campaign, Fertitta, as per Chron, reportedly donated $420,000 to political action committees (PACs) supporting Trump. Notably, the 67-year-old tycoon was also said to have donated $13,200 to PACs backing Kamala Harris, Trump's opponent in the presidential elections.

Fertitta's support for Trump isn't a recent development, either. In early 2017 — when Trump's first White House stint was in its early stages — Fertitta praised Trump's economic policy, particularly his emphasis on capitalism and deregulation.

"He is doing what he said he was going to do when he was running and that is something that people usually don’t do," said Fertitta in a CNBC interview. "So I congratulate him for trying to do what he said he was going to do."

The internet react to reports of Fertitta's potential appointment

After The Dunk Central (which used to be known as NBA Central) shared Jacobs' report on Fertitta, netizens had hilarious takes regarding a certain X account that sounds like "NBA Central."

"Not Centel??? We are so cooked," said one netizen.

"Thought I got centel'd," said another.

These Tweets refer to NBA Centel, a parody account that regularly posts misinformation. Apparently, the individuals who posted these Tweets were so taken aback by Fertitta's news that they wondered whether they were looking at the parody account.

One other online user decided to use a popular quote to express their reaction to this development.

Though this line is delivered in jest, there may yet be implications for the Houston Rockets if Fertitta's appointment as ambassador to Italy does push through. Till then, Rockets fans will be on the lookout for updates on their team owner — but NBA Centel probably won't be their go-to source.