Rockets are finally getting the respect they deserve on a national stage

As the Houston Rockets enter the 2025-26 NBA season, all eyes are on superstar acquisition Kevin Durant, holding one central, burning question; can he elevate this team into true championship contention?

It is that exact question that will define the Rockets' season, and, as season ticket sales rise to new high and Houston receives a smattering of games on national broadcasts, it seems as though this ascendant young team is finally getting the respect they deserve on a national stage.

While it remains to be seen whether the addition of Durant will bring in the results that organization envisions, it should make for some exceedingly fun basketball no matter the circumstances.

The Rockets could be one of the most exciting teams in the league this year

As the Rockets ascended to the second seed in the Western Conference last season, after finishing just 41-41 the season before and missing the play-in entirely, it became clear that the organization's patience, and head coach Ime Udoka's hard-nosed scheme, were coming to fruition.

Across the course of 2024-25, Houston posted the fifth-best defensive rating in the league along with the seventh-best net rating, firmly placing them in elite company among the league's contenders.

Where they struggled, however, was on offense. Across the course of the season, they held just the 12th-best offensive rating, and, in the playoffs, the failed to break the 100-point threshold in four of their seven games.

Now, however, with the addition of Durant, it is reasonable to believe that there will be significant improvement on that front, and it seems as though the league as a whole has already bought in.

According to Rockets president Gretchen Sheirr, the team's season ticket base is up 25%: a sure sign that excitement around H-Town is building at a rapid pace. This will be the team's first time as true championship contenders since the James Harden era, and the fact that fans are flocking back to the team and the stadium is an excellent sign.

Moreover, the Rockets will have 28 nationally televised games this season (for context, they had just 11 last year). While this does bring some larger opponents and tougher games into their schedule, such as their season-opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder, it also allows a national audience to witness the fruits of what the organization has worked so hard to develop.

Now, as the Rockets get their flowers (perhaps just a bit prematurely), they must live up to the hype, starting with stringing together a series of strong regular season performances before the All-Star break.