Tilman press conference -- UPDATE: FULL VIDEO in OP

damn... even the owner is an asset to mauri.

 

Mauri is an asset to himself.

 

I like what I have seen.

P.S.: I still don't like the thread title. While it is meant to be funny, it can be misunderstood, as if it refers to the new owner.

 

Houston Rockets new cafeteria, 2018.



Thank you, Tilman.

 

It was a bit of a middle school clique type mistake on his part. Seems like we've had a contagious episode of that working its way around here of late.

Rule #67 , never forget that memes are not always recognizable by billionaires who spend slightly less time than you on anonymous internet forums.

 

that's why @heypartner needs to add the periods between the letters

 

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/20983294/new-rockets-owner-tilman-fertitta-see-need-big-changes

ESPN: How will the franchise change under your ownership? How do you plan to put your stamp on the Rockets?

Fertitta: ... Am I going to tweak things? Absolutely. I'm going to make the employee cafeteria better. I'm going to make the players' lounge better. I'm going to try to make the entertainment better out on the floor. But I'm not going to sit here and evaluate talent. That's just not what I do. I know what I know, and I know what I don't know. And I've got really good people.

ESPN: On that note, this looks like a team that can be a legitimate contender for several years, but the price will rise significantly next summer if the core is kept together. What's your tolerance level for paying the luxury tax?

Fertitta: This is what was told to me by my experts that work here: If it's going to take you to the Finals, then you should pay the luxury tax. And I totally agree. If you have to lose money to get to the Finals or win a championship, I think you do what you have to do because it's going to come back to you.

Remember, I don't look at things year to year. I don't operate any of my businesses year to year. I look at everything long-term, so if it costs me money to win a few championships, I'm fine with that. But you don't want to be in the luxury tax and not be getting to the Finals, so if you don't have a team that can get to the Finals, you shouldn't be paying the luxury tax.

I'm going to take the advice of Daryl and his team and Tad. I will do what they suggest that we do.

ESPN: If you look at your NBA neighbors in Texas, you see owners who have been successful with very different styles. Mark Cuban has been as hands-on and outspoken as any owner in any sport. Peter Holt seems to just sign the checks and stay out of public view for the most part. Where do you envision falling on that spectrum?

Fertitta: I don't think I'm anything like Peter, and I don't think I'm anything like Mark. But most people would tell you that Tilman was already the most well-known business guy in town, and I have a national television show. So my life doesn't change very much from that respect, but I also have a $4 billion business to run over there on Post Oak [Road]. That's where I'll be every day.

I won't be coming to the Rockets office every day. Will I talk to Tad every day or Daryl every other day because they just want to update me? Yeah, but I'll be probably more involved in making sure the fan experience is better. I'm not getting into X's and O's of the basketball team, and I'm not going to tell Daryl who we should be drafting and who we should be trading. I've learned more about basketball in the last 30 days than I thought I knew from the last 30 years.

ESPN: What's your all-time Rockets starting five?

Fertitta: Gosh almighty. You've got to have James Harden in there. Have Tracy McGrady as your shooting guard. Then you've got to throw Clyde [Drexler] in there. I would probably throw Hakeem [Olajuwon] and Elvin [Hayes] and Moses [Malone] at power forward today and then put Yao [Ming] there at the center position.

ESPN: That's a starting seven.

Fertitta: OK, if you've gotta go with one of the three, you've gotta go with Hakeem. But today he could probably play power forward. He was one of the first centers that started bringing the ball up the floor every once in a while.​

 

Good Nachos are very hard to come by these days.

 

is it weird to want nachos and a beer for breakfast? asking for a friend

 

Typical stadium nacho cheese is played out.

Tillman better upgrade