‘Journey to Liftoff': On eve of playoff return, Rockets release feature film
'Journey to Liftoff': On eve of playoff return, Rockets release feature film On the eve of their first NBA playoff game in five years, the Rockets released a film titled 'The Journey to Liftoff,' which chronicles the path back.
On Saturday, the Rockets released an original feature titled 'The Journey to Liftoff.' Dating back to the 2020-21 season, the film details the step-by-step journey of the recent rebuilding years and Houston's return to the NBA playoffs in 2025.
Houston's upcoming first-round series versus Golden State, which starts Sunday night, will be the team's first playoff appearance since the 2019-20 season. For key young players drafted during those rebuilding years, it will be their first exposure to playoff basketball.
'We came in together, went through the struggle together, were at the bottom together,' Rockets guard Jalen Green, who leads Houston in scoring, said during the film of his relationship with All-Star center Alperen Sengun. Both fourth-year players were drafted in the 2021 first round.
In a post promoting the film on the team's Instagram account, the Rockets listed key moments from their rebuilding timeline as follows:
Jae'Sean Tate acquired (November 2020)
Jalen Green drafted (July 2021)
Alperen Sengun drafted (July 2021)
Jabari Smith Jr. drafted (June 2022)
Tari Eason drafted (June 2022)
Coach Ime Udoka hired (April 2023)
Amen Thompson drafted (June 2023)
Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and Jeff Green acquired (July 2023)
"Sometimes you, sometimes me, always us," Brooks says of Houston's approach under Udoka. "It could be your night, one night, and not the next night. But what can you still do to provide for the team? Everybody is going to have their moment."
Udoka, Brooks, Green, Sengun, and numerous other players were took part in exclusive interviews for the film.
"It's always about the end result, which is winning and playing team basketball, unselfish basketball," Udoka said in his interview.
The complete film can be viewed below.
More: Rockets-Warriors predictions: How NBA analysts view the 2025 playoff showdown
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