HOUSTON — July 29, 2019, marked the first time I walked the halls of the Toyota Center as a credentialed media member. The Houston Rockets had executed a trade to acquire Russell Westbrook from the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the organization held an introductory press conference for their new superstar point guard.
The general public assumed that the trade for Westbrook was the start of an exceptional era — that would feature the Rockets pairing the passionate and dynamic combo guard alongside the prominent offensive playstyle of James Harden.
Fast-forward three years later, Houston’s trade for Westbrook became another era of a missed opportunity.