While the Rockets’ “first shot” habit has become their pregame ritual, they may not find a more enthusiastic supporter than Lakers star LeBron James.
That has more to do with who will be the “first pitcher” before the Rockets take on the Lakers on Wednesday than it does with the honors akin to baseball’s traditional first pitch being given to celebrities before every Rockets home game.
Texas quarterback C.J. Stroud was selected for First Shot honors, much to the delight of James, a loyal Ohio State football fan and all former Buckeyes fan.
“I love it,” James said. “The connection to Ohio State; I love it.
“I watched all of the former Ohio State Buckeyes’ games. He’s impressive. With the way he’s playing now, he’s definitely the Offensive Rookie of the Year. “Very impressive, very calm, a great guy Franchise quarterback. “
James is also a fan of the “first shot” concept, although in his previous trips to Toyota Center, he never noticed anyone attempting a free throw between player introductions and the opening tip.
Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta came up with the idea and began practice before the 2017-18 season. But if James wasn’t familiar with the pregame festivities at Toyota Center before Wednesday, he was more than happy to discuss Stroud’s success because he said if he were to be a broadcaster, he’d rather talk about football than basketball, If only because he’s moved on from his past. 21 years talking about his own sport.
“I love basketball, too,” James said. “I could talk about basketball all day long, but this is what I’ve been doing for a long time. Just a change of pace, that’s all.”
However, his plans after retiring from the NBA aren’t in broadcasting, so he’ll have to stick with talking about football as a hobby. Questions about the Texas star rookie quarterback gave James a chance to give Stroud a shout-out on Sunday’s episode of “The X.” After Stroud led the Texans to victory in the final seconds with a record-setting performance by a rookie quarterback, James posted a shouting emoji along with “CJ STROUD.” “Right there.”
“I’m not saying I want to be (a football broadcaster),” said James, the NBA’s all-time scoring leader. “The question was would you be a basketball (broadcaster)? I said, ‘I prefer football. I prefer talking about football than basketball. I just like the nuances of the football game. I think it’s more tactical.
“You have 11 players and you have to really rely on it every game. Sometimes the receivers can go into extra innings sometimes. “Just think it’s a game that doesn’t get talked about enough between games because of the intensity and physicality of the game. Quality, I think that’s pretty cool. “