Houston Rockets owner Leslie Alexander surprisingly announced yesterday that he was selling the team after 24 years, and Houston billionaire Tilman Fertitta has emerged as the frontrunner to buy the team, according to Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle:
Houston billionaire Tilman Fertitta said Monday he has an interest in purchasing the Rockets.
"I definitely have an interest," Fertitta, the Landry's restaurants founder and CEO and gambling mogul, said. "Just hope it doesn't go for crazy numbers. I've never really wanted to own a professional team outside of Houston. Houston is my hometown and the place I would prefer to own a professional team."
"I've known Les (Alexander) since he purchased the team 24 years ago," said Fertitta, whose net worth is listed as $3.1 billion by Forbes. "Les has been a great owner for 24 years. He's won the only two major championships in the history of Houston and has kept the team competitive for 24 years. It will be big shoes to follow for whoever buys the team. (But) I definitely have an interest."
Fertitta has worked for the Rockets in the past, serving as an advisory director for the team during the 1994 and 1995 seasons, both of which ended with Houston winning the NBA title.
He also was one of the founding members of the Houston Texans and was with the team until 2008, when he had to sell his share in the franchise due to the NFL rule that prohibits owners from being associated with gambling-related businesses. Duarte reports that Fertitta "owns Golden Nugget casino locations in Las Vegas, Louisiana and Mississippi."
Alexander bought the Rockets for $85 million prior to the 1993-94 season, and Forbes recently valued the franchise at $1.65 billion. ESPN's Darren Rovell expects the team to be sold for $1.9 billion
Follow our Houston Rockets news page for all the latest Houston Rockets news!
Back to the Houston Rockets Newsfeed