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Kevin Durant rarely plays in front of empty seats. For nearly 20 years, he has been one of the NBA's best ticket sellers. That is why the initial moments in Houston on Tuesday stood out. As the Rockets locked horns with the Chicago Bulls, Cameras picked up large patches of empty red seats inside Toyota Center.
Did Kevin Durant play in front of empty seats?
The visual went viral after the Bricks shared the clip on X.
“The Rockets have Kevin Durant and the seats are EMPTY ,” the account posted.
Durant noticed. Rather than ignore it, he stepped in with a known explanation for anyone who has followed Houston basketball.
“We’re fashionably late down here, champ,” he replied. “Check back round mid 2nd quarter and it’s a different picture. Been that way in Houston since I been in the League.”
By the time the game ended, Durant's point was hard to argue with.
Toyota Center, which is constructed to host 18,104 fans on an NBA night, had an official attendance of 18,055 on Tuesday. what seemed empty initially ended up being just above full by the end.
Kevin Durant's magic works again for Texas
On the top of it, Durant's comeback to Texas has raised the average attendance. After averaging 17,562 fans at home two seasons ago, that number witnessed a fall last but has spiked again this season.
ESPN's data shows the Rockets have already drawn 252,835 fans across 14 home fixtures, which works out to 18,059 per night. The timing is not hard to connect. Durant's return has brought life back into the building.
The buzz feels real again, the seats are filling up, and in Houston, it is mostly just the crowd's arrival time that runs a little behind.
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