Not Exactly Namath

Rockets GM Daryl Morey Twitter teases Mark Cuban, sees it backfire — big time

Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey seemed like a pretty confident guy heading into Game 1 of the first round series with the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder. Confident enough to invoke one of the greatest upsets in recent playoff memory on Twitter.

And take a little shot — intentional or not — at the rival Dallas Mavericks in the process.

"Game day! Every home team winning yesterday shows tough task we have ahead. That said, lots of similarities to 2007 #8 GSW/#1 DAL series...," Morey tweeted.

Yes, Cuban is tweeting a smiley face at an opposing NBA general manager. At least, he didn't break out a heart emoticon.

The series Morey is referencing is the infamous one in which former Mavericks coach Don Nelson came back to haunt his former employer and guide the eighth-seeded Golden State Warriors to an emphatic six-game upset of No. 1 Dallas. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban couldn't help but notice Morey's tweet and he shot back, "Thanks for the reminder :) Good luck this series."

Yes, the Mavericks billionaire owner is tweeting a smiley face at an opposing NBA general manager. At least, he didn't break out a heart emoticon.

Of course, Cuban still ends up looking better than Morey in this whole thing. For, as everyone knows, the Rockets ended up falling behind by 33 points to the Thunder in Game 1 on the way to a 120-91 playoff embarrassment. No, the Rockets didn't exactly channel those 2007 Warriors.

Nelson's crew won Game 1 on the road. They didn't appear to be mere traffic pylons in the way of a player as speedy and skilled as Russell Westbrook.

Morey's record as a prognosticator is not exactly looking stellar heading into Wednesday night's Game 2. But his Twitter clout is surely only growing.

Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey isn't proving to be much of a soothsayer on Twitter.

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rock on

Native Houstonian brings Austin-based climbing gym to the East End

Photo courtesy of Crux Climbing Center

One of the many climbing walls at Crux.

Crux Climbing Center, one of Austin's best indoor bouldering and climbing gyms, opened its first Houston location in September and is hosting a grand opening celebration this weekend.

"As a native Houstonian, bringing Crux to the Bayou City has always been a part of the long-term vision," said native Houstonian, CEO, and co-founder Kevin Goradia. "Crux is a community-oriented climbing gym, and our decision to open our first out-of-market location at The Plant was largely inspired by Concept Neighborhood’s plans to create a walkable neighborhood that truly integrates the local community.”

Goradia — the son of Houston petrochemical billionaire Vijay Goradia — co-founded the first Crux in South Austin in 2016 after being dissatisfied with the offerings at other climbing gyms. Crux has almost everything a climber could want, including bouldering, training boards, a spray wall, strength training, fitness and yoga classes, saunas, locker rooms, a Kids Cave, lounge space and a retail shop.

The gym flourished in the post-COVID physical activity boom as more people looked for both exercise and social interaction following the lockdowns. The community aspect of Crux is very important to Goradia. When he was diagnosed with cancer in January 2023, he credits the support he had through the climbing scene in Austin as a major factor in his eventual recovery.

Now, he's bringing that to Houston, a city where indoor-climbing is booming. The exceptional flat city has few natural climbing spots, which would be arduous even if they existed thanks to the heat. Instead, the last twenty years have seen an explosion of massive, indoor facilities like inSPIRE, Momentum, and now Crux.

The grand opening event will take place at the 21,000-square-foot gym space located at The Plant (3100 Canal St.) on Saturday, October 10 from 2-8 pm. This is more than just a few grab bags and a chance to do some climbing. Native Houstonian, CEO, and co-founder, Kevin Goradia is pulling out all the stops with a full vendor fair offering art, jewelry, and vintage items.

The climbing will be a great way to work off the calories from some of the food partners. Cheaters Creamery and Sinfull Bakery will both be handing out treats, and Miguelitos Grill will be serving fresh-off-the-grill quesadillas that can be washed down with beer from St. Arnold's Brewery for the 21-and-up crowd. There will even be free tattoos from 13 Goats.

And, of course, there will be climbing. Throughout the event Crux is offering BOGO deals and raffles. The event itself is free, so this is a great opportunity to get a look at what made Crux stand out in Austin.