Houston’s Patrick Fertitta named to 2024 NBA 40 under 40 list

Posted by author August 22, 2024 NBA

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Patrick Fertitta, son of Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta, is on The Athletic’s “NBA 40 under 40 list.” The list highlights top young professionals around the league.

For a second time (and the first since 2022), The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov published a “40 under 40” list consisting of coaches, executives, managers, and influencers around the league who are under 40 years old.

It’s an increasingly young league, as Vorkunov points out. The Boston Celtics won the NBA’s 2024 title with 36-year-old Joe Mazzulla as head coach. Oklahoma City’s Mark Daigneault won Coach of the Year. Four of the last six winners of the Executive of the Year award were 40 or younger when winning.

“This list was compiled after much deliberation and many discussions with sources around the league,” Vorkunov writes of the criteria. “It is made up of front-office executives, coaches, league office officials, agents, and staffers from the players’ union, as well as others in the NBA orbit.”

In 2024, the Houston Rockets are represented on the list by Patrick Fertitta. As the son of owner Tilman Fertitta, the 29-year-old is involved in front office conversations and effectively serves as a liaison between ownership and the front office.

Regarding the younger Fertitta and his role, The Athletic writes:

Fertitta’s official title [Fertitta Entertainment director] hardly explains everything he does for the Rockets. He is involved in the franchise’s day-to-day operations, including on the basketball side working with general manager Rafael Stone as they continue to put the team on the ascent after several years in the lottery. Or as one league insider said of Fertitta, the son of owner Tilman Fertitta, “He’s got all the juice.”

The complete list can be viewed here.

As for Patrick Fertitta and his role, it’s worth noting that the young and improving Rockets had the league’s largest annual wins increase (19) among all 30 teams during the 2023-24 campaign. Clearly, the current leadership mix is doing something right. That includes Tilman Fertitta as owner; Gretchen Sheirr as president of business operations; Rafael Stone as general manager; Ime Udoka as head coach; and Patrick Fertitta, who helps to bring it all together.