Even in his second NBA season, Jalen Green is already one of the longest-tenured members of the young and rebuilding Houston Rockets. That’s now reflected in Green’s locker in the home locker room at Toyota Center, which he’s taking from Eric Gordon after a deadline trade sent Gordon to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Tuesday night’s matchup versus Denver was the first home game for the Rockets since that Feb. 10 trade.
“That’s a blessing,” Green said of the new locker, per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. “I was waiting. I’m saying, ‘As soon as they have it, I’m getting that big locker.’ I already stamped it. They asked me, but I was sitting there with my team, and I was like, “I’m getting the big locker. I don’t care what nobody says.’”
The Rockets have two oversized lockers — effectively double the size of most others — on the corners of their home locker room.
New #Rockets at Houston Chronicle — In return from injury, Rockets' Jalen Green in a good spot — in more ways than one https://t.co/59xIUDPSlH
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) February 28, 2023
Historically, these have been occupied by some combination of the team’s star players, like James Harden and Dwight Howard, and extremely respected league veterans, such as Nene and John Wall.
But in 2022-23, the Rockets — outside of Gordon — have been devoid of stars or impact veterans. Thus, those lockers now belong to a 21-year-old Green and a 22-year-old Kevin Porter Jr., who is in his fourth NBA season and third with the Rockets.
Consider it a sign of the rebuilding times.
