The Houston Rockets welcomed a special guest at Toyota Center on Monday as they faced off against the Phoenix Suns. Houston Astros pitcher Tatsuya Imai was on hand to watch the game at courtside.
Imai recently signed a three-year, $54 million deal with the Astros after spending nine years with the Saitama Seibu Lions in his home country of Japan.
The 27-year-old star is already acclimatizing himself in Houston, and supporting the Rockets should only earn him more fans.
The crowd gave him a huge applause when he was introduced by the stadium announcer in the first quarter. Imai stood up and acknowledged the warm reception, while also signing a baseball.
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Fans on X were also delighted to see Imai attending the game.
“Bro, he’s everywhere. I love this dude already!” said @kadenlk44.
“My boy is really loving it already. I feel like he's going to cook,” added @Clutchfan199.
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“He's already locked in with the city,” echoed @DubIslegend.
“Good luck charm,” claimed @ultimatenovason.
“This dude is already a celebrity, and he hasn’t thrown one pitch,” commented @fluker_lane.
With all the hype surrounding him, Imai is expected to bolster the Astros, who missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016 after an 87-75 record.
It will be interesting to see how Imai will adjust to the MLB, especially with all the pressure and comparisons to fellow Japanese and Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
In the meantime, the Rockets did not disappoint Imai, as they beat the Suns, 100-97, to improve to 22-11. Kevin Durant led the charge with 26 points and 10 rebounds.