Tilman Fertitta frustrated with financial hit he’d already taken with Rockets amid coronavirus

The 2019-20 NBA campaign has been suspended until further notice due to fear over the coronavirus, which has further exacerbated financial hits that some executives had already been taking, via Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. Take Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta, for example.

Fertitta and the Rockets’ organization already experienced quite a dip earlier this season when general manage Daryl Morey spoke out in favor of Hong Kong in its tense situation with China.

Given how popular Houston is in China thanks largely to Yao Ming’s tenure with the club, the Rockets make a whole lot of money in China, and Morey’s comments unquestionably hurt Fertitta’s pockets.

Now, with the league facing a potentially lengthy hiatus, Fertitta—who suggested a three-to-four week break for the NBA amid the coronavirus—is absorbing an even larger hit.

Surely, Fertitta and other NBA owners will be just fine in the long run, as they possess more money than most people know what to do with, but from a business perspective, the current situation has to be maddening, and in Fertitta’s case, it just seems like it’s one thing after another this season.

The Rockets had been one of the league’s most interesting teams ahead of the suspension.

After an offseason in which Houston landed Russell Westbrook in a blockbuster trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder, sending Chris Paul to the Thunder in exchange, the Rockets have shown flashes of brilliance while also exhibiting some head-scratching moments along the way.

As of right now, Houston is 40-24 and sits in sixth place in the Western Conference. Ironically enough, the Rockets are one seed behind the Thunder, who have the same record but currently own the tiebreaker.

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