The Houston Rockets are building a culture.
After three years of tanking, fans were concerned that a losing mentality was entrenched in this squad. Those concerns were overstated. The young Rockets wanted to win, but they didn't know how.
So, the Rockets acquired veterans to show them. Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks rightfully receive the lion's share of that credit. They've been impactful on and off the court.
That on-court impact is more apparent to fans. We shouldn't sell the off-court impact short. Shaping these players as young men is important. To that end, "Uncle" Jeff Green has been as pivotal as anyone else.
It seems he's looking to stay in Houston for a while longer.
Rockets veteran hopes to stay in Houston
----------------------------------------
That's what Green [told Zach Lowe recently.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV4OApGzxdQ)
_**"The goal is to get to 20 years, so two shy. Houston has been home for me for the last couple of years, and I want to keep it that way. Hopefully, we can make something work where I can retire there."**_
**\-Jeff Green on The Zach Lowe Show**
That should be music to Rockets fans' ears. Sure, Green is a back-of-the-bench player at this stage of his career.
That's not why this is important.
Rockets can be viewed as premier destination
--------------------------------------------
A player going on record to say he's happy in Houston is meaningful.
Let's go back to those 3 tanking years. Some fans worried that nobody would want to play in Houston. So, Green's assertion that he wants to make it a home is a ringing endorsement.
All told, this isn't a substantial issue. Green shouldn't be a significant part of the team's rotation. Keeping him on as an unofficial player-coach has some real value, but it's not essential.
This is about the Rockets' perception around the league. It's a telling indicator that they've rehabilitated their image. These are not the tanking Rockets. This is [Ime Udoka's pack of dogs](https://spacecityscoop.com/recent-ime-udoka-rumors-most-absurd-thing-you-ll-hear-all-week). Any veteran should be happy to play in Space City.
Hopefully, the Rockets will keep Green in the mix. The money has to work. Green is a veteran's minimum guy at this stage of his career. He can still play in a pinch, but he shouldn't be averaging even 10 minutes per game anymore. Still, as long as both sides can reach an agreement, the Rockets should keep him around.
He's a winner, and the Rockets can't have too many of those.