Rockets Potentially Looking at Austin for Future Home
Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2019 10:37 am
The Houston Rockets have been a fixture in Southeast Texas for many decades, however that could change in the near future as the team is reportedly exploring for a new home in the next few years. The team has not had a sellout since the Toyota Center opened in 2009 despite missing the playoffs only 3 times during that span, and the last sellout was in February 2008 in the old Summit. Though one of the largest market in the league, the economy in Houston has been terrible since the start of the millennium, and fan support has been lukewarm the past 25 years compared to the massive support given to the NFL's Houston Texans and the MLB's Houston Astros. One potential site for a move could be a short drive away in the capital city of Texas. Austin is a smaller market, but is the largest city in America without a major league sports team, it has a booming excellent economy, and their is a strong desire for a professional team. The Rockets are looking at being Austin's first professional team and see that being the only team in a growing market could be a successful long-term investment and still continue rivalries with in-state teams such as the San Antonio Spurs and the Dallas Mavericks. Sources say the Rockets will explore a move after the season.