Latest news with #Houstonian
USA Today
09-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
‘Fought with grit, heart, and determination': Steven Adams reflects on Rockets' season
'Fought with grit, heart, and determination': Steven Adams reflects on Rockets' season 'We fought with grit, heart, and determination, displaying the kind of resilience that goes beyond the court,' veteran center Steven Adams says of the 2024-25 Rockets. The 2024-25 NBA season didn't have the desired postseason ending for the Houston Rockets, but it was a largely successful one for veteran center Steven Adams. After missing all of last season due to knee surgery, Adams worked his way back into form in 2024-25 and took on a massive role in the 2025 playoffs, finishing as Houston's most impactful player (by many metrics) in its first-round series against Golden State. Days after Houston lost its winner-take-all Game 7, the 31-year-old took to Instagram to thank fans of the team. The Rockets concluded the regular season at 52-30 and No. 2 in the Western Conference, representing their best finish this decade. Via Instagram, Adams shared his thoughts on the journey: Houston, thank you. The energy, passion, and unwavering support you brought to the arena this year were nothing short of incredible. I hope we represented this city with the pride and resilience that define what it means to be a Houstonian. Going to battle with the brothers was an honor. We fought with grit, heart, and determinationdisplaying the kind of resilience that goes beyond the court. Proud of the boys and everything we learned together. Adams will be an unrestricted free agent in the upcoming 2025 offseason, though there appears to be mutual interest in a return to Houston. In seven contests against the Warriors, Adams averaged 5.7 points (60.0% FG), 6.6 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 22.1 minutes per game. Beyond his on-court contributions, the New Zealand native is also extremely well regarded for his leadership skills and locker-room presence. More: As free agency looms, Rockets hopeful of reunion with Steven Adams
Black America Web
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
Megan Thee Stallion FINALLY Replies to Slim Thug Shooting His Shot Online
Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE Source: 300 ENT / 1501 Certified If there's one thing about Slim Thug, he's gonna speak his mind online. The topic could be politics, sports, women's rights and even celeb crushes. Recently Thugga's being campaigning for the affection of fellow Houstonian Megan Thee Stallion. RELATED: Vivica A. Fox Said THESE HOLLYWOOD MEN Are The Best Kissers As reported on Hip Hop Wired , after the Hot Girl Coach was seen dancing to two of his classic tracks, 'Thug from Around the Way' and the iconic 'Still Tippin,' Slim Thug took it as more than just a tribute. 'Aye, if that ain't a 'Daddy, I want you' call then what is,' he said. 'She danced to two of my songs? I say I'm in there.' The rapper believes it's only a matter of time before Megan makes the first move. 'I'm just waiting on my day she comes to Houston and hits me up,' he added with a smirk. The two H-Town artists go way back, with Slim Thug showing love to Megan early in her career. Their paths have crossed at several Houston events, but fans are skeptical about his recent crush claims. Many online are calling Thug delusional, saying Megan was simply showing respect to another Houston icon, not flirting. 'That's not her shooting her shot, she's just reppin' the city,' one fan commented. Now Meg has replied to Slim's playful advances. 'And no, Slim Thug, this don't mean I like you,' she said before a massive crowd. 'I just like your music babe.' Check out the video below. SEE ALSO Megan Thee Stallion FINALLY Replies to Slim Thug Shooting His Shot Online was originally published on
USA Today
20-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Space City Home Network to offer local playoff broadcasts for Rockets-Warriors series
Space City Home Network to offer local playoff broadcasts for Rockets-Warriors series For fans wanting a local call, Houston's Space City Home Network (SCHN) will broadcast Rockets-Warriors playoff games for most of the first round. SCHN will also have pregame and postgame coverage. In the 2025 NBA playoffs, every game will be broadcast to a nationwide audience by one of the league's national television partners. But for first-round series, with the lone exception of ABC exclusives, games can also be broadcast by each team's regional sports network (RSN). For the Rockets, that's Space City Home Network (SCHN), which the organization jointly runs with Major League Baseball's Houston Astros. SCHN is available on distribution platforms including DirecTV, Xfinity, AT&T U-verse, and fuboTV (free trial). So, in the case of Sunday night's Game 1 between the Rockets and Golden State Warriors, fans have the option of watching either the national feed on TNT or the local feed on SCHN. The SCHN broadcast will have the team's usual announcers during the regular season — Craig Ackerman as play-by-play, Ryan Hollins as analyst, and Vanessa Richardson as sideline reporter — on the call. For Hollins and Richardson, who joined the Rockets' broadcast team in late 2021 and 2022, respectively, it will be their first time calling live playoff action. 'Craig, Ryan, and I couldn't be more thrilled to be broadcasting playoff games,' Richardson told Rockets Wire. 'I have so much respect for national media, but I think Houston sports fans will enjoy the option of watching the first-round games with their local broadcasters.' Of the first four games of the best-of-seven series, only Game 3 is an ABC exclusive. That means SCHN will carry Game 1, Game 2, and Game 4. The broadcast networks and tipoff times for Game 5 and beyond (schedule) have yet to be determined, since those games are not yet necessary. As part of its coverage, SCHN will also have its usual pregame and postgame shows featuring former Rockets as analysts — most notably, Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy and native Houstonian Gerald Green. These pregame and postgame shows can run immediately before and after every game, including ABC exclusives. For example, even though SCHN can't broadcast Saturday's Game 3, the network does have a live postgame show scheduled for that night. Those shows will include live reaction, analysis, and interviews with players and coaches from the Rockets. 'I'm passionate about sharing the incredible things this franchise is doing, as someone who is fortunate to be around this team daily,' said Richardson, who also attends every practice and shootaround while collecting exclusive content and one-on-one interviews for use on future broadcasts and social media. All NBA playoff games in the second round and beyond are national TV exclusives, though SCHN —should the Rockets advance — would still have the right to air pregame and/or postgame content. In that round, the winner of the Western Conference series between the No. 2 Rockets (52-30) and No. 7 Warriors (48-34) will face the winner of the series featuring the No. 3 Los Angeles Lakers and No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves. In 2026 and beyond, under the NBA's new agreement with its national TV partners, every playoff game — first round included — will be a national exclusive. Thus, the 2025 playoff run is the last under the current structure. But for fans of the Rockets, it does provide a few more opportunities to see and hear the familiar voices of their own broadcast crew during a memorable 2024-25 season. Tipoff of Game 1 and Game 2 is at 8:30 p.m. Central on Sunday and Wednesday nights, respectively, with both games available to watch on SCHN. Since Houston had the superior regular-season record and holds home-court advantage in the series, both will be played inside the team's home arena of Toyota Center. SCHN's most recent playoff broadcast was Game 7 of Houston's 2020 first-round series versus the Oklahoma City Thunder, which the Rockets won to advance to the second round. Prior to 2025, that was the last year the Rockets qualified for the NBA playoffs. More: By the numbers: Key head-to-head statistics for Rockets, Warriors in 2024-25 season
Axios
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Axios
UH poll: Houstonians wary of the city direction
A majority of Houstonians rate the city's quality of life as good in a new University of Houston survey, but a significant share expressed concern with long-standing issues like crime, traffic and infrastructure. The big picture: While most (59%) said they feel Houston is headed in the wrong direction, a majority still back local leaders like Mayor John Whitmire and County Judge Lina Hidalgo, per the Hobby School of Public Affairs survey. The survey, fielded between March 29 and April 4, includes responses from about 1,400 Houstonian registered voters and has a +/- 2.62% margin of error. By the numbers: 59% approve of the job Whitmire is doing as mayor and 55% approve of Hidalgo's performance as county judge. 41% say the quality of life in Houston has declined over the past year, while 12% say it's gotten better and 47% say it's the same. Roughly half of Houstonians say roads and streets in bad condition are among the city's top problems — and that they take a major toll on neighborhood quality of life. The intrigue: Republican voters were more likely to approve of Whitmire, with 71% giving him positive marks compared to 56% of Democrats. Hidalgo saw the opposite pattern — 80% of Democrats approved of her performance, versus just 13% of Republicans. Between the lines: While some issues drew broad agreement, views on quality of life varied sharply by race, said Mark P. Jones, a Hobby School researcher and political scientist at Rice. 67% of white voters rated citywide quality of life as excellent, very good, or good, compared to 56% of Black and 47% of Latino voters. Overall, 58% of respondents said the same.
New York Times
10-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
How to watch the Houston Astros in 2025: Schedule, broadcast info and blackout rules
Baseball is back in Crush City — or Clutch City, Space City, Screw City, whatever you're partial to. The Astros look considerably different this year with Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman playing elsewhere. And the process of actually watching them keeps getting harder, with more tributaries in the streaming game and blackout rules on national broadcasts. Advertisement Here, we navigate the tangled cords to explain what you need for viewing all 162 games, and which ones will be subject to regional blackouts. We also highlight the primetime slots in Houston's first-half schedule (second-half will be announced later in the season). May the orange on your Jose Altuve jersey still pop, and may your calls to 281-330-8004 go right through. Lastly, let's get one 'Holy Toledo!' for the H-Town legend Milo Hamilton. Without cable, Fubo has the most games covered this season. Anything on Space City Home Network, ESPN, Fox or MLB Network can be streamed here; TBS cannot. What you need to watch these games: The 'pro' plan starts at $84.99 monthly, with an extra charge for 4K ultra-HD. For more, there is the add-on, which streams every out-of-market game for $29.99 a month, and the Sports Lite package (with MLB Network) for $9.99 a month. This is the digital home for the Astros and the NBA's Houston Rockets. The network is co-owned by both franchises. Native Houstonian Todd Kalas is back for his seventh season as the 'Stros' television narrator, having called ALCS-or-better squads in his first six campaigns. Kalas is the son of an all-time great sportscaster — Harry Kalas, who called Philadelphia Phillies games from 1971 to 2009 and did voice-overs for NFL Films. That prolific career started in the Houston Astrodome in 1965. Kalas and Geoff Blum have a natural and sunny Texas chemistry. Blum had two separate stints in Houston, playing a total of five seasons and hitting .259. His definitive moment in front of Houston fans came in Game 3 of the 2005 World Series — a go-ahead frozen rope homer in the 14th inning … for the Chicago White Sox. It's not too awkward now that the club has racked up hardware of its own. Advertisement The vast majority of games are available on Space City Home Network. Regional sports networks (RSNs) just don't cover national broadcasts. Games on Apple TV exclusives are also blacked out, but games on MLB Network and Roku's 'Sunday Leadoff' series are available. What you need to watch these games: Fubo, DirecTV Stream (starting $80-90 monthly), Amazon Prime (FDSN add-on at $20/month), FanDuel Sports Network app ($20/month or starting at $106 annually) What you need to watch these games: A carrier that has Space City Home Network MLB Network airs almost 300 local broadcasts for national audiences, so out-of-towners will find some Space City Home Network games there. MLB Network also offers 26 unique, produced-in-house 'showcase' games not subject to local blackouts. The subscription has every game except the ones on national TV and in-market RSNs, which are determined by zip code. As long as you're not in the Astros' region, you'll have access to all the local broadcasts for a one-time cost of $150. Fubo has the add-on for $29.99 a month. What you need to watch these games: MLB Network for select games / for all of them The league has partnered with ESPN since 1990; that ends this fall. Yup, the purveyors of the iconic music are indeed opting out of their remaining baseball broadcasts. For this season, you'll still find select primetime Astros games. Karl Ravech and Jon Sciambi are usually on the mic. Think Sundays, especially 'Sunday Night Baseball.' The first-half schedule lists Houston on ESPN once: Sunday, April 20, against Fernando Tatis Jr. and his San Diego Padres. These games can also be streamed on ESPN+. Advertisement Fox is where you'll hear Joe Davis or Adam Amin on the call, plus former MLB pitcher John Smoltz. Fox often has a Saturday spot. Right now, the Astros are scheduled for two FS1 looks: Saturday, April 19, versus the Padres and the following Saturday in Kansas City. This is the Tuesday action. Brian Anderson does the 'TBS Tuesday' games; Pedro Martínez, Curtis Granderson and other former players appear on their studio show. TBS broadcasts can also be streamed on Max. Joe Espada's group doesn't have anything scheduled here yet. Roku The purple metropolis now has 'MLB Sunday Leadoff' games free from blackout restrictions. The intrastate Houston-Texas series gets its Sunday game here. Houston has one first-half draw on Apple TV: Friday, May 16, versus Texas. In general, think Apple TV on Friday, Fox on Saturday, ESPN on Sunday, with those games frustratingly blacked out for local viewers. Streaming and Betting/Odds links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Photo of Jose Altuve and Jeremy Peña: Tim Warner / Getty Images)
