Recap: Opening night, Oct. 26, 2019. Running off the excitement and adrenaline of a new season, Russell Westbrook did his signature pre-game ritual in front of the home crowd. But instead of hyping-up the fans inside Chesapeake Energy Arena, Westbrook celebrated the start of a new year on the floor of the Toyota Center draped in Houston Rockets gear.
It was Westbrook’s first official game as a Rocket. In July, Houston completed a blockbuster trade that sent Chris Paul and four draft picks to Oklahoma City in exchange for the former league MVP (2017).