With only two NBA seasons under his belt, Jae’Sean Tate is still viewed as a relative newcomer by many around the league. Yet, on the young and rebuilding Houston Rockets, the 26-year-old has become something of a veteran influence — particularly when you combine his two years of NBA experience with two international seasons as a pro in Belgium and Australia, along with four college seasons at Ohio State.
Now armed with a new three-year contract, the 6-foot-4 forward is a rotation fixture for the foreseeable future in Houston, and he appears ready to take on an even bigger leadership role in the locker room.
Regarding his new deal, here’s what Tate told ESPN on Monday during a national television broadcast of Houston’s summer league victory:
That shows how much the front office and coach (Stephen Silas) have trust in me. These last couple years have been a tough couple of years, but I think we’re building something great.
We see our young guys bringing that energy. That’s what we’re going to do this year. Me being a veteran on the team, trying to lead these young guys — coach and the front office see that, and they trust me.
Jae'Sean Tate: "I think we're building something great. We see our young guys bringing that energy. That's what we're going to do this year. Me being a veteran on the team, trying to lead these young guys — coach and the front office see that and they trust me."
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) July 11, 2022
“As a whole, the young group has gotten better every game, and that’s all you want,” said Tate, who was named to the NBA’s 2020-21 All-Rookie First Team. In his second season, he scored the game-winning basket during the league’s 2022 Rising Stars tournament at All-Star Weekend.
This year, while Tate appears set to take on a larger leadership role in the locker room, his on-court emphasis doesn’t seem likely to change.
“Don’t get scored on,” said Tate, who has averaged 11.6 points (50.1% FG, 31.0% on 3-pointers), 5.4 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 27.7 minutes over his two NBA seasons. “That’s my role on this team.”
#Rockets forward Jae’Sean Tate (@o_tate_ ) on ESPN on his mindset on defense: “Don’t get scored on..That’s my role on this team.”
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) July 12, 2022
