My very first NBA game: Houston Rockets vs Golden State Warriors - Feb 13, 2025
If you’ve been following my blog or have read my portfolio, you’ll know by now that I LOVE sports, I love the Warriors, I adore and have worked with Steph Curry during his first visit in the Philippines, and I now live in Houston. Finally, after being deprived of live basketball when I was living in Malaysia, I can now live and breathe ball again. I’ve been looking at the NBA schedule and attempted to watch the Lakers vs Rockets at Toyota Center but it was right after New Year and we were out of town. Then I saw this match that just called my name, and my eyes just twinkled.
A Pre-Valentine's Day Treat: Rockets vs. Warriors
ROCKETS VS WARRIORS right before Valentine’s Day? Come on now, that was a dream and a gift I had to give myself (and my husband too). So I did. I booked my very first NBA game. The child in me was jumping that her dreams were finally coming true.
My husband’s a Houston native but I’m not. I’m not gonna lie when I say this, I honestly didn’t know who to cheer for. I was finally putting some roots in Houston and obviously should cheer for the Rockets, but I’ve loved the Warriors ever since the Splash Bros. My husband and I made a deal. I will wear a Rockets shirt and cheer for them, but if Steph’s on the court, I’ll be all in for Dub Nation.
Game Day
We arrived at the Toyota Center early. Doors opened at 6pm and by 5:30 we were on the road. I put on my Rockets shirt and game face. As I stepped into the arena— no joke and no judging, I shed a tear. I started watching basketball as a kid, with my dad introducing me to Michael Jordan’s gamer. We watched the All-Star Game, took pride when Yao Ming became a Rocket. It was a dream to watch this game live someday. And Feb 13, 2025, was that day.
We lined up for some hotdogs and drinks, found our seats, and canvassed every single area in that space. I looked at the court, the players, the fans who were surprisingly a good mix of Rockets & Warriors fans when I thought it would be a home-court advantage.
The arena was buzzing with both Rockets and Warriors fans, making it a thrilling experience before the game even started.
Game Time
It was tip-off. I couldn’t remember who got the ball and who scored first, but I remember I was screaming and cheering at every play. I was even crazier when SC30 had the ball, then I started cheering for Draymond, Podz, Moody, Jimmy Butler. My husband didn’t want anything to do with me and wanted me to switch places so I didn’t look like a traitor wearing a Rockets shirt while cheering for the other team. LOL. But I guess the 18 point lead really made a difference for me. As much as I’m a huge GSW fan, now that we’ve established Houston as our base, I want to show some team loyalty and cheer for them. The comeback was good but it wasn’t enough. Nevertheless, on the second half, I was all in Rockets—— until Steph hit that insane 3 points. The bench was stronger than the starting five. Steven Adams had a rough night. Sengun’s double-double helped the team catch up. A 13-1 run at the end of the third trimmed the lead. Holiday had an impressive run, played most of the game, and cut the lead to just 2. Amen & Jalen had a rough night. Landale & Williams played with big hearts.
For the Love of the Game
I just love this game. It makes me feel alive. It gives me joy. I forgot how much I missed working on sports. When I worked for an advertising agency, I had a huge sports portfolio with athletes like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Derrick Rose visiting the Philippines where I led the social media team to create even more awareness and engagement. I switched to beauty when I moved to Malaysia, but working on sports, despite the long hours and the weekends out of your dictionary was fulfilling for me. It feels incredible to reconnect with my passion for sports, something I missed dearly while working abroad. I was working on something I’m passionate about. I’ve already bought tickets to watch my next game, and hopefully, I get to work for the Houston Rockets someday too.