Rockets owner Fertitta refutes report he instructed team to slash costs
From Jeanie Buss dismissing trade rumors about her Los Angeles Lakers as "fake news" at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, to James Dolan issuing a lifetime ban to a New York Knicks fan who yelled "sell the team" at a recent game, NBA owners have been demonstrating their power with a combative flair so far this month.
Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta has now voiced his displeasure with an unflattering report about the current state of his franchise:
Your an absolute fraud. Show me one item or person that has been touched.
— Tilman Fertitta (@TilmanJFertitta) March 13, 2019
The interaction came shortly after news broke that the Rockets had signed long-time general manager Daryl Morey to a five-year contract extension.
The Rockets are slated to dole out between $123-125 million in overall player salary this season, according to Basketball-Reference. That's above average for an NBA team this year, but still well below the league-leading Miami Heat, who will be on the hook for over $150 million after accounting for a hefty luxury-tax bill.
Fertitta, a casino and restaurant magnate, purchased the team from Leslie Alexander for $2.2 billion in 2017.