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Dwight Howard says Stan Van Gundy helped his decision to sign with Rockets

Former Magic coach Stan Van Gundy was one of the key advisors who helped Dwight Howard decide to sign with the Houston Rockets.

That’s what Dwight Howard told reporters in Houston what Stan confirmed to Open Mike.

From Dwight, courtesy of the Houston Chronicle: “I talked to Stan a lot during last season. During the offseason, we talked and he felt like the system that would fit me best and the coaching staff would be Houston. He said he liked (Kevin McHale). He likes (Hakeem Olajuwon). He likes (James Harden) and the fact that this is a young team. It reminds him of the team we had in Orlando so he felt like this would be a good fit for me.”

Howard went on to say that he now has a great relationship with the coach he tried to get fired in Orlando: “One side is business and one side is personal,” he told the Chronicle.

Reported by Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel

Rockets: Marcus Camby struggling with injury

A healthy Marcus Camby would be a terrific limited-minutes backup to new Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard. We repeat: healthy.

Rockets center Marcus Camby, expected to be out another two weeks with a foot injury, could be out much longer if things don’t improve soon. Camby said Wednesday that the therapy he has been trying is to improve his condition enough to avoid surgery that would likely keep him out for as much as two months.

“My plantar fascia is torn,” Camby said. “I’m trying to do whatever I can to avoid surgery. We’re just going to rehab it and see how it goes in the next two weeks and take it from there. We don’t want to rehab it and nurse it and have it still be lingering. That is something I’m going to sit back and figure out and definitely look toward long term, as the season progresses to the second half of the season. I have to be smart about it.”

Reported by Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle

As more injuries pile up on Camby’s old shoulders, relying on him becomes less realistic.

Houston Rockets not at full speed yet

With two days until the Rockets take the court for their first preseason game, the team is still working out the kinks in their own game.

“We’re not going to get everything down pat right away. It takes time,” Rockets center Dwight Howard said. “The biggest thing is not to get frustrated with it, not allow the mistakes to slow us down, but to keep moving. I think we’re doing a pretty good job at it.”

The Rockets scrimmaged Thursday afternoon, playing game-like situations with referees and free throws, but stopping every few possessions to make sure everyone’s on the same page and reset on offense and defense.

Reported by John Kelly of CSN Houston

Dwight Howard was happy when LeBron James finally won a championship

Howard wants to take James’ and the Miami Heat’s title, but confesses to finding comfort in the redemption of the best player on the planet. For Howard, another scorned star, James’ redemption represents the light in the distance.

“He got hated for a lot of reasons,” Howard told Yahoo. “I was really, really happy when LeBron finally won. I was unhappy that it wasn’t me up there, but I was glad to see him get through that whole thing.

“I knew exactly how he felt. People putting you down, saying bad things about your character, who you are as a person. It doesn’t sit well with you. When you go out on the court, you want to show them, ‘Hey, this isn’t who I am.’

“Here’s a guy who’s a great basketball player. He did something that was for him, and he did it in front of the whole world. I realized then that our issues, our problems, our flaws are out there for the world to see. You can’t run from it. We have to learn from our mistakes and move forward.”

Reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports

EPIX to deliver a Dwight Howard documentary

Looks like Jeremy Lin won’t be the only Rockets player with his own documentary.

Dwight Howard has teamed with EPIX to offer an exclusive look into his life and path to becoming a megastar. A big part of the original documentary, EPIX Presents Dwight Howard: In the Moment, includes footage of Howard during his recruitment and decision to come to Houston, so that should be of particular interest to Rockets fans. It will also retrace his youth and career path and will help answer the question, ‘who is the real Dwight Howard?’

Reported by Sara Eckert of CSN Houston

Houston Rockets CEO thinks team may sell out every home game

The Rockets’ first prediction of the season might not be topped, even if this one never mentioned games to be won or a championship to be chased.

Kevin McHale will not be so bold. His players are as unlikely to be as daring. Their boss, however, did not hesitate, at least when it came to the goals of his wing of Toyota Center and the business of basketball.

The Rockets, CEO Tad Brown said, will sell out every home game this season. For the Rockets in the Toyota Center era, that is a huge proclamation.

“We’re further ahead in our sales process at this time than we ever have been,” Brown said heading into the start of team workouts Saturday. “The season-ticket base is up 34 percent. We are close to being sold out of season tickets. And we are pretty confident with the excitement that this team has already created in the market that we’ll be sold out of every game.”

Reported by Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle

D-League news: Ken McDonald named head coach of Austin Toros

Spurs Sports & Entertainment today announced that they have named Ken McDonald as head coach of the Austin Toros.

McDonald served as an assistant last season for the Toros under head coach Taylor Jenkins, where he helped lead the team to a 27-23 overall record and to the semifinals of the 2013 NBA D-League Playoffs.

Prior to the Toros, McDonald served as head coach at Western Kentucky University from 2008-12 where he accumulated a 67-48 overall record. In his first season with the Hilltoppers, McDonald guided the school to the Sun Belt regular season and tournament championships, and to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Rhode Island native served as an assistant coach for the University of Texas (2004-08) where he helped guide the Longhorns to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances. During his four seasons on the Texas bench the Longhorns posted a 106-35 (.752) record. The 106 wins are still the most victories in a four-year period in school history. Texas captured Big 12 Conference regular-season championships in both 2005-06 and 2007-08 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament “Elite Eight” in both of those years as well.

McDonald also served as an assistant coach at the University of Georgia (2003-04), Western Kentucky University (1998-2003) and Clemson University (1994-98).

A Providence College graduate, McDonald played two seasons with the Friars before playing professionally for the St. Paul Revelles in Killarney, Ireland from 1993-94. Before transferring to Providence he played two seasons at the Community College of Rhode Island, where he was a first-team junior college All-American, setting school records for single season scoring as well as three-pointers made in a game, season and career.

The Toros are scheduled to open the 2013-14 NBA D-League season on the road Nov. 22 when they visit the Santa Cruz Warriors. The team will open its home slate on Dec. 1 against the Delaware 87ers at 3 p.m. inside Cedar Park Center.

Rockets GM stays realistic on shot at championship

Asked by Houston’s SportsRadio 610 about the Rockets’ 2014 championship chances, Morey urged perspective.

“I think there are probably at least three teams better than us if not more,” he said, hardly the type of restraint offered a year ago in Los Angeles, before the Lakers’ Howard, Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant succumbed to injuries.

“Until you’re going into a season felling like you are the top one or two, I think it’s, and we haven’t really accomplished anything, I think it’s hard to talk about, ‘Hey, we’re one of the favorites to win the championship.’ But I do think we go in with a chance, where as we haven’t in the last few years.”

And, yes, he has the Heat a step above, when asked if the Heat, Thunder and Spurs were the three teams he was referencing.

Reported by Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel

Royce White vehemently denies allegations of domestic violence

Former Rocket Royce White made headlines Wednesday when TMZ reported that he was being investigated for domestic violence.

On Thursday, White released a statement through his lawyer:

“Royce has seen today’s media reports that law enforcement in Texas is investigating claims of domestic violence by a terminated and disgruntled former employee of his charitable organization. Royce vehemently denies the allegations and is looking forward to a speedy and just resolution of these unfortunate and unfair claims. It is all too easy to make allegations, especially when directed at a person who is in the public eye. Royce hopes that the media will be equally attentive when these allegations ultimately are rejected.”

Reported by Jenny Dial Creech of the Houston Chronicle (Blog)

Royce White being investigated for possible domestic violence, reports TMZ

NBA player Royce White — who famously missed his rookie season with the Houston Rockets due to mental health issues — is at the center of a criminal investigation in Texas after allegedly beating up his then-girlfriend … TMZ has learned.

We know … White’s ex-girlfriend Tania Mehra — a Maxim model — filed a police report on August 30 to report an incident that went down at Royce’s Houston-area home back in June.

According to law enforcement, records show someone called 911 on June 22, 2013 to report a laceration above Tania’s right eye. Cops say at the time, Tania claimed she suffered the injury from an “accidental fall.”

Reported by TMZ.com