Green bids farewell to the Rockets: If I were in management, I would make this trade too. Next season, I'll score 30 points to beat you.

On July 24, Beijing time, Jalen Green, a former Rocket traded to the Suns, published a heartfelt article on "Player's Perspective," bidding farewell to the Houston Rockets. The title of his article is "To Houston: From the Heart," and here is the full text—

Do you know what I love most about Houston? It truly is a city full of hard workers. Outsiders just don’t understand; they might think Houston has a slow pace, with that Southern laziness, and so on. But if you’ve actually lived here, you’d realize that people from all over the world gather here, all striving to carve out a place for themselves, which is why this city has such incredible creativity. The food, the music, the way people treat each other… Brother, Houston is truly one of the most underrated places in America.

I actually don’t want to praise it too much because we need to keep this uniqueness here, you know what I mean?

Honestly, I really enjoyed my time as a Rocket. I can’t believe that now when I talk about Houston, I have to use the past tense. But that’s life in the league.

Listen, nobody likes being traded. But to be honest, I understand, brother. This is ultimately a business,If I were in management, I might have made this trade too.I think it’s a better choice for both sides, and I can’t wait to team up with Booker to build that winning culture we started exploring in Houston.

People always love to say what during times like this? Don’t cry for what’s over; smile for what once was? Brother, I’m smiling right now. I have nothing but love for the Rockets. I’m sorry, but I have to work hard to beat you now, yet that friendship will never change every time we meet. Honestly, I grew up here. Some players say this when they get traded, but I mean it—when I arrived at 19, I still had the habit of eating Skittles before games, and when I leave, I’m already a father. Those times were truly unforgettable.

When I first came, everyone was talking about “rebuilding.”

“Rebuilding, rebuilding, rebuilding.” You know that downcast, staring-at-the-floor look, right?

“Ugh, I can’t say for sure, maybe it’ll take four or five years, brother. We’ll just have to take it one step at a time.”

We were like, “Forget this rebuilding.”

I felt we were too young to even know the so-called “rules.” Maybe most teams, by the third quarter of February’s regular season, were just thinking about where to relax after the game. But brother, we played every possession like it was a life-or-death battle. Even if we lost, we played fiercely. Our philosophy was: “Hey, we’re young and athletic, so let’s play solid defense.”

We brought energy to every arena in the league, sliding into defensive positions on the court like we were dancing the electric slide. Everyone knows Houston’s defense is no joke. It’s not just ordinary defense; it’s “hard-nosed defense,” brother.

Other teams’ veterans looked at us and said, “Hey, it’s only Tuesday, brother. Take it easy. Aren’t you supposed to be thinking about draft picks?”

But we weren’t taking it easy, nor were we thinking about draft picks. We just wanted to win now.

During my rookie season, the team only won 20 games. 20 games, brother. But within three years, we filled Toyota Center for the playoffs. I’ll always be proud of that. The key to such a turnaround was the team culture. We had a young core and veterans like Fred VanVleet—those who have truly won in the league, guiding us. I’ll never forget… this was the first time I heard such words from a veteran… One night, I was on fire, hitting three shots right off the bat, and on the next possession, I chose to pass. As a young player, you always feel a bit of “guilt,” you know? “I think I should pass now.”

As a result, during the timeout, Fred looked at me in disbelief and gave me the green light in front of everyone:

“Hey, why did you pass? Shoot again, brother. As long as you don’t miss, the plays will revolve around you.”

We have a special bond in our group. So saying goodbye now is so hard because I really want to mention everyone on the roster one by one. I’m close to each person, and even after leaving the court, we’ll stay in touch. Fred, Amen, Tari, Jabari, Jock, Steven Adams, Jae'Sean Tate—all of them count. Even our coaching staff and trainers—Royal Ivey, JB, Willy—you know, it’s far more than just basketball. We’ve talked about so many life topics. Thank you for helping me sort out my life, not just as a player, but as a young father, as a man.

Of course, there’s my Turkish brother, Alperen (Shengun). When we first came here like kids, I could barely understand what you were saying half the time. Brother, remember? We taught you some English swear words. You played me all sorts of Turkish rap, and I just couldn’t get into it, sorry, brother. You guys really need to change the tempo. Hahaha. But he’s my good buddy. I never knew Europeans could be so down-to-earth! I thought you all were pretty aloof. But Alperen is really cool.

With him and Amen around, Rockets fans have something to look forward to in the coming years, truly. I’ve seen it up close—Amen won’t just get better; he’ll be ridiculously strong.

Ultimately, the strongest proof of my time here is: On the day I was traded, I made calls all day long. I understand how the league works; some teams aren’t that close among players. Some players get traded and just call one or two buddies, and that’s it.But me? I called the entire team. From morning until dinner time, I said goodbye to the last person, brother.Luckily, Dillon is coming with me to Phoenix. I can’t wait to see what Dillon will be like after the trade; he’s definitely going to create all sorts of “chaos” on the court, brother.

You know what’s funny? The first person I called after hearing the news was my mom, obviously. I had to call Mom first. Even if I had a moment of self-pity, once she picked up the phone, that feeling just vanished. Many moms work night shifts to support their families; they deserve all the respect. But my mom, she’s a jail guard and also works nights; that job is tough. When I was young, she would come home after her early shift and drive three hours to take me to games in Oakland. She would sleep in the car between games, having been through it all.

(Mom, remember? Before games in the car, I was always so nervous I had a stomachache! Seriously, there are still quite a few players in the league like that.)

“If you’re nervous, it means you’re ready!”

Right, Mom?

Long drives, playing basketball, dealing with various things. That’s always been our life. It won’t change now. The team in Phoenix wants me to stay true to myself, and I get to partner with one of the top players in the league, Booker. This is another opportunity to build a winning culture, to show how much I love basketball, and it’s also a chance to make those noisy critics shut up. (I see everything you say; thanks.)

So I will miss Houston, miss the brothers there, but I’m genuinely happy now. I make a living playing basketball; how could I have a bad day? Every day I get to play is a good day.

Houston, thank you for your love. Really, thank you.

If I drop 30 points next season to beat you, don’t forget those wonderful times!

—Jalen Green