IT'S TIME

HIDALGO — As much as it will mean for Rockets and former Vipers guard Aaron Brooks, tonight’s preseason game between the Boston Celtics and Rockets will be more significant for the Valley fans.

Brooks spent two games with the Vipers almost two years ago. Since then, he’s been a part of hundreds of NBA games and experienced one of the most glamourous sports leagues in the world. As for Valley fans, the closest they’ve come is two days of less-than-intense open “practices” that have basically been shootarounds and photo-ops.

That changes tonight at Dodge Arena.

While what Valley fans see tonight won’t be a true representation of the NBA, at least they’ll see the Rockets and Celtics in a competitive atmosphere. They’ll see players like Brooks, Luis Scola, Trevor Ariza, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce trying to prepare for a grueling NBA season, while younger guys will be competing for spots on the opening-night roster.

Perhaps most importantly, it is an opportunity for the Rockets and Vipers to market their partnership, to flaunt what an NBA-NBA D-League affiliation can mean.

 “We’re very excited to be here. It’s been… the vision with the Vipers when we first started dreaming this up, it’s come to fruition,” Rockets CEO Tad Brown said. “We’re really looking forward to Wednesday night because I think the game is the culmination of everything that we put together.”

There have been, without question, some bumpy moments during the Rockets’ first visit. Sunday’s open practice was disappointingly short and the event itselfy was occasionally chaotic. Monday’s was much more restrained and felt like a more intimate experience with an NBA team.

But the most memorable part of the week will be the game, for better or worse. If things don’t go well, it will confirm in people’s minds that what happened Sunday wasn’t a fluke caused by miscommunications but a pattern that the Vipers aren’t ready for an event like this.

And if things go well, it will become one of the most positive experiences in the history of Valley professional sports.

“For the Rockets, I think they want to increase the fanbase in South Texas. For us, I think we want to establish credibility,” Vipers principal owner Alonzo Cantu said. “We can show that we have professional-type NBA talent here in South Texas. And we want our fans to also increase and start to support us, because it is a community effort.

“We want to be here for the community and expose our kids to some of these NBA players.”

They’ll get their chance tonight.

Brian Sandalow covers sports for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him at (956) 683-4436.