Travis Stockbridge ’15, a Sport Management major, has been hired for a full-time position in Basketball Operations by the Houston Rockets.
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Stockbridge started working as an intern for the Rockets in his first semester at Rice. After three and a half years of hard work and dedication, he earned himself a full-time job. Stockbridge creates scouting reports for the Houston Rockets and gives recommendations for possible additions to the team.
“I scout NBA, NCAA, and international games,” Stockbridge said. “Some games are live scouts, mostly within Texas, and many are done via video. After watching games, I submit reports summarizing my thoughts and making recommendations. This type of scouting is considered personnel scouting, as opposed to advance scouting, which our coaching staff does to prepare for upcoming opponents.”
Originally from the small town of Burlington, Illinois, just a short 50 miles outside Chicago, Stockbridge chose Rice for the great opportunities the school and the city of Houston has to offer. From the onset of his time at Rice, it was clear that Stockbridge was eager to explore these opportunities.
“I just wanted to work hard, prove myself, and put myself in a position to have an opportunity to work in basketball,” Stockbridge said. “It had always been a dream, but I didn't start thinking it would actually be possible when I began with the Rockets. It wasn't until they started trusting me with bigger projects and really helping me develop in the business that I thought it might be a reality one day.”
Over the years, Stockbridge has had the pleasure of enjoying some great experiences with his co-workers for the Rockets.
“The playoff run in 2015 was incredible. Watching Game 6 of the Clippers series in our locker room with a few other staff members was indescribable,” Stockbridge said. “That was one of those magical moments that you never forget. Then with the team coming home for Game 7, you could just feel the energy in the building, in the atmosphere. There was so much confidence and so much hype for that game”.
Colton Torrance, a junior from Clear Lake, Texas, is majoring in Sport Management.