Story on the Downtown Practice

[Jeff]

This is gonna be very cool!

From the Chron:

Rockets ratchet up downtown fever

Open practice part of outdoor festival
By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2000 Houston Chronicle


Unwilling to wait for an arena to be built around them, the Rockets will hit the downtown streets today to give the idea of downtown basketball its first Houston test.

The Rockets will hold their annual public practice today, expanding it into a daylong outdoor basketball festival.

Less than two weeks before the Nov. 7 arena referendum and three years before they hope to move downtown, they will hold the Houston Rockets Downtown Basketball Festival at the site of the proposed arena to celebrate Tuesday's start of the season.

The Rockets have built an outdoor court at Clay and Crawford near the George R. Brown Convention Center.

They will hold a full practice on a specially constructed outdoor Sport Court around noon. The festival is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. and continue until 4 p.m.

"The team is excited about having an entire festival centered around an exhibition practice," said Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich said. "We think our fans will really enjoy being so close to the court and action."

Crawford, Clay and Polk will be closed for the event. There will be bleachers close to the court for 2,000 spectators.

Between and 8,000 and 10,000 fans are expected to attend during the day.

The NBA Jam Van will be on the site to offer 5,000 square feet of basketball activities, including a video wall and three basketball areas with five baskets.

Former Rockets Calvin Murphy, Robert Reid, Purvis Short, Dirk Minniefield, Major Jones, John Egan and Otto Moore are scheduled to attend along with mascots, Clutch and Turbo, the Power Dancers and team broadcasters.

An autograph session, live music and street performers will be included in the downtown event.

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[Francis3]

Thanx Jeff. Im for sure going to be there.

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"You look a team that's been to the mountaintop like the Houston Rockets, I'm going to put pressure on myself to be the best possible player that I can be. With the pieces they already have in place and myself, we can do some amazing things next season."

Maurice Taylor

[R0ckets03]

im comin

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[3pointer]

Count me in.....

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Mind is the fore-runner of conditions. Mind is chief; and they are mind-made. If, with an impure mind, one speaks or acts, then pain follows one even as the wheel, the hoof of the ox.
Mind is the fore-runner of conditions.
Mind is chief; and they are mind-made. If, with a pure mind, one speaks or acts, then happiness follows one even as the shadow that never leaves.