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The Houston Rockets debuted their new City Edition court during Wednesday’s home game against the LA Lakers and fans were blown away.
The court features a new logo of a red, white and blue astronaut dunking a basketball with the Rockets’ traditional logo on his back. The astronaut is surrounded by red and blue stars.
The design is inspired by the league’s “Hometown Heroes” theme and pays tribute to the city of Houston and its accomplishments in the space industry.
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Upon seeing the court design for the first time, many fans called for it to be the Rockets’ permanent logo:
“This [is] better than their actual logo,” one fan said.
“They need to make this the logo,” another said.
Meanwhile, others expressed surprise at how well the court turned out:
“Even James Harden is amazed,” one fan said.
Here are a few more of the top fan reactions to the Rockets’ new City Edition court:
Houston Rockets also debuted their new City Edition jerseys on Wednesday
Along with their new court, the Rockets also debuted their new Nike City Edition jerseys on Wednesday night.
The jerseys feature the name “H-Town” across the front, a tribute to NBA legends Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. Olajuwon and Drexler famously increased the popularity of basketball in the city during their dominant college careers at the University of Houston. It was during this time (1982-83 season) that the team embraced the name H-Town.
Olajuwon and Drexler were both interviewed about the Rockets’ new jerseys. Olajuwon spoke about how they perfectly encapsulate his college career:
“I am deeply honored to have my career here in Houston celebrated by the Rockets in this special way,” Olajuwon said.
“The new City jersey is a great representation of my college playing days.”
Meanwhile, Drexler was grateful that the team is still paying tribute to him and Olajuwon 40 years after their college careers ended:
“It’s been 40 years since Hakeem and I played college basketball, and it’s an honor to know that this year’s Rockets team will wear a uniform that’s inspired by the impact that we made on the game,” Drexler said.
Houston will wear its City Edition jerseys for a total of 13 games throughout the season, starting with Wednesday’s matchup against the Lakers.
The Rockets (3-3) are looking to win their fourth straight game after starting 0-3. Meanwhile, the Lakers (3-4) are looking to end their two-game losing streak.
