Stephen A. Smith SPILLS TEA on $10.5 billion NBA owner on live television
Daryl Morey's statistical methods did not sit well with Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta, as revealed by Stephen A. Smith.
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Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta let go of Daryl Morey after constant playoff losses, says Stephen A. Smith
In the world of sports, there are several types of owners, front-office executives and head coaches. A seamless combination of the three will help to ensure the franchise is successful. But there are times when an owner hired a GM and eventually figured out it was not working. Analyst Stephen A. Smith reveals one such situation an NBA team faced.
Billionaire Tilman Fertitta bought the Houston Rockets in 2017 for a then-record $2.2 billion. At the time, of his purchase, Daryl Morey was already the general manager. The master of statistics was instrumental in putting together a playoff-contending team.
But those playoffs eventually were his undoing. As the Houston Rockets never made it to the NBA Finals under his tenure and always looked like it was not capable of going over the hump. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith recalls those days when Fertitta ultimately came to the decision to let go of Morey.
One of the things that led to Tilman Fertitta wanting Daryl Morey out of Houston is that they would literally lose a playoff game, or a series, and Daryl Morey would walk up to him with the analytics saying, ‘See, we actually won’.
Stephen A. Smith on Daryl Morey
"One of the things that led to Tilman Fertitta wanting Daryl Morey out of Houston [Rockets] is that they would literally lose a playoff game or a series and Daryl would walk up to him with the analytics saying, 'See, we actually won.'"
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 6, 2024
—Stephen A. Smithpic.twitter.com/ojrBq0zKgD
As soon as Smith said this, his First Take colleagues Chris Russo and Molly Qerim let out a sigh. A sigh that showed what they felt about those who resort to statistics to influence decisions. But it also shows that Tilman Fertitta had enough of those excuses, and he let go of Daryl Morey.
Tilman Fertitta has since changed the culture of the Houston Rockets
Since the departure of Daryl Morey, the Houston Rockets have rebuilt under GM Rafael Stone. His first head coach Stephen Silas could not do much as the team struggled. But Stone kept on racking up high draft picks as he slowly built a young squad brimming with potential.
At the time of Silas’ departure, former Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka was available after serving a year-long suspension. They hired him within a couple of weeks and handed the reigns to him. Since then, player choices and how the team performed were based on how he wanted the team to play.
In his first season, the Rockets almost made it to the play-in spots. But this year, they are already in the top playoff places. The young dynamic team play a brand of basketball that exudes energy. With their myriad of options, they have the ability to get production from many players.
If they do end up making it to the playoffs, for Tilman Fertitta, it will be a success. He replaced the statistical-driven environment of his early ownership days with a more stable and sound method of managing a team.
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Joseph Varghese
(2268 Articles Published)