Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta: ‘Pray for Victor’
At the 2023 All-Star break, Houston (13-45) owns the NBA’s worst record, and Victor Wembanyama is viewed by many scouts and analysts as one of the league’s best draft prospects in years. Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta is quite aware of thoese two facts and already connecting dots.
To conclude an interview at Galveston’s Mardi Gras celebration on Saturday night with KPRC (Houston’s NBC television affiliate), Fertitta said this when the Rockets were mentioned:
Thank God, we’ve got 10 days off. And pray for Victor!
Fertitta didn’t technically mention Wembanyama, a 19-year-old big man prospect from France. But it’s not hard to understand the reference, unless you think it was somehow intended for former Rockets guard Victor Oladipo (now of the Miami Heat).
Here is the video — Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta shouting “Pray for Victor!” at Mardi Gras in Galveston in a street interview on @KPRC2 #Rockets #PrayForVictor #Wemby pic.twitter.com/1C7Wgt5tcu
— Sean Pendergast (@SeanTPendergast) February 19, 2023
The NBA flattened its lottery odds in 2019 to minimize the incentive for teams to “tank” for top prospects, so even the three worst teams — which the Rockets are easily among, at the moment — have only a 14% chance at the No. 1 pick (odds).
For perspective, the Rockets finished with the NBA’s worst record in each of the last two seasons (2020-21 and 2021-22), but didn’t land the top pick in either draft. Thus, even if Houston maximizes its odds yet again, actually landing Wembanyama is inherently unlikely.
Perhaps that’s why Fertitta would like some prayers.
