Basketball

Rockets’ Eric Gordon on NBA limbo: ‘It’s tough for a person in my situation’


LAS VEGAS — Eric Gordon doesn’t want to miss. At this point, he can’t afford to — his legs might give out.

It’s 12:30 p.m. in Las Vegas, meaning the sun is at its absolute worst already. The Rockets have taken over the gym at Desert Pines High School, away from the hustle and bustle of the NBA Summer League.

Drenched in sweat and standing deep in the left corner on the far end of the court, Gordon awaits a pass from lead assistant coach and close friend John Lucas. If he makes the open 3-pointer, no problem. If he misses, well that’s another story.

Swish. Swish. Swish. Clank.

Gordon shakes his head, already dreading the additional sprints coming his way. He darts to the halfway line and back, with Lucas throwing playful jabs his way, as usual. The amount of perspiration on Gordon’s shirt leaves reason to believe he’s already done this several times this afternoon.

Elsewhere in the room, normal practice is ongoing. Some of the young players are going through strength and conditioning drills with director of performance Willie Cruz. Others are doing a pick-and-roll walkthrough with assistant coach DeSagana Diop. At the other end, John Wall is receiving treatment on his knee.

Despite Gordon’s brief annoyance with himself, he can’t have too many complaints. He’s healthier and looks slightly leaner. Naturally, some of that is attributed to Lucas’ workout program — veterans in the past have dreaded his intense 1-on-1 workouts — but Gordon has been relentless with his training.

“Well, I did a lot,” Gordon tells The Athletic.





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