In what may serve as a de facto introductory press conference for Kevin Durant, the Rockets will host their annual media day on Monday, September 29.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
In what could be an introductory press conference of sorts for Kevin Durant, the Houston Rockets<\/a> are expected to host their 2025-26 media day on Monday, September 29. The dates are publicly available on the NBA\u2019s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n Coincidentally, that September 29 date will be Durant\u2019s 37th birthday.<\/p>\n Training camp will likely open the following day, September 30, with the preseason opener scheduled for a week later on October 6<\/a>. Opening night for the Rockets could come as soon as October 21<\/a>, with complete regular-season schedules to be released by the league office later this month.<\/p>\n Because Durant was acquired in July<\/a> and the league\u2019s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) does not mandate media availabilities in the offseason, the 15-time All-Star has yet to speak with reporters in Houston.<\/p>\n While it\u2019s still possible that a press conference could occur earlier, nothing has been scheduled, and NBA personnel often spend the weeks immediately prior to camp traveling or spending time with their inner circle \u2014 i.e. family or close friends that they can\u2019t see as often during the season. In many cases, this requires traveling out of market.<\/p>\n In a recent interview, Rockets veteran Dorian Finney-Smith referenced an unofficial team mini-camp<\/a> being held in September, which could further tighten this year\u2019s schedule. Since any mini-camp is separate from training camp, most are held in out-of-market locations<\/a>.<\/p>\n Media day consists of interviews with each NBA team\u2019s key players, coaches, and executives, who are asked to share perspectives about the season ahead. Because Durant\u2019s media day interview will undoubtedly involve questions about his new team in Houston, that might be another incentive for him to wait \u2014 since he will likely be addressing the same types of topics, regardless of whether he does an earlier event.<\/p>\n Following previous offseason superstar acquisitions, including Dwight Howard in 2013 and Chris Paul in 2017, the Rockets hosted a July showcase event featuring both a press conference and an opportunity for the player to directly engage with the fan base<\/a>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a safe assumption that the team would have loved to capitalize on the Durant buzz with a similar engagement event, but the team cannot mandate his appearance in a period without games. It comes down to the player\u2019s availability, and there haven\u2019t been many indications of Durant physically being in Houston this offseason.<\/p>\n The Rockets have yet to announce locations or times for media day or training camp. Last season, media day took place inside the team\u2019s home arena of Toyota Center, while training camp was held at the team\u2019s newly constructed practice complex<\/a> in Houston.<\/p>\n