Heights Magazine

bestofheights.com september + october 2021

Question to Answer Prior to Retirement Bayou City Art Festival Returns The Menil’s New Must See Enchanted Exhibition Five New Restaurants A Salute to Long Time Heights Arts Stalwart

Now scheduling VIRTUAL and IN-PERSON appointments – at your place or ours!

Whether you’re new to the Kelsey-Seybold family or a longtime patient, you have a choice of where you can safely get care. Call our 24/7 Contact Center at 713-442-0000 to schedule a same-day or next-day virtual Video Visit or, for non-respiratory illnesses, an in-person appointment at our Downtown at The Shops at 4 Houston Center.

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september + october 2021 Send comments, thoughts or ideas to intownmagazine@gmail.com

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ON THE COVER

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The building at 1703 Heights Boulevard was originally the Heights Christian Church. It was built in1927 and designed

by Architect C. N. Nelson in the Classical Revival style. Today it is home to Opera in the Heights.

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14-15

FOOD: WHERE TO EAT NOW

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ENCHANTED: THE THE MENIL COLLECTION

20-21

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FINANCIAL FOCUS THE GAME

PRODUCTION

CONTRIBUTORS

PUBLISHER

M. A. Haines EDITOR

bestofheights.com

Lisa June

Lindsay Mowad William Hanover Marene Gustin Evans Attwell Philip Berquist Minnie Payne Virginia Billeaud Anderson

Web Design CSS Art & Design Layout & Graphic Design CSS Art & Design

For advertising rates and information: 713.525.8607 intownmagazine@gmail.com Space reservation deadline is 15 days prior to publication.

Graphic Designer Cris Bell Photographer Wells Brown

Intown Magazine is published bi-monthly by SNS Media. Articles are welcome and will be given careful consideration for possible publication. Intown magazine does not assume any responsibility for unsolicited materials. Materials submitted will be returned if accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Box 980757 Houston, TX 77098. You can also e-mail intownmagazine@ gmail.com or call 713.525.8607. Copyright 2021 by Intown magazine. All rights reserved. Content may not be reprinted or reproduced without permission from Intown Magazine.

6 | HEIGHTS | September + October 2021

EVENTS

Bayou City Art Festival returns

In October, the Bayou City Art Festival Downtown will spotlight the festival’s featured artist McKenzie Fisk along with more than 200 artists from around the country representing 19 different disciplines. The festival will feature live music, food trucks, and beverage stations throughout the festival along with two entertainment stages and art installations.

For the ultimate art lover, Bayou City Art Festival and Frost Bank will offer a limited availability VIP ticket experience, which will include a tented oasis with light bites, and complimentary beer, wine and other beverages.

The relaxing setting under a canopy of trees will feature roaming musicians, artistic décor, a phone charging station and more. VIPs will receive all-day access to the VIP area, along with VIP parking.

Opera’s Keith Chapman retiring

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he one and only Keith Chapman who is retiring from Opera in the Heights has served on its artistic and administrative staff from nearly the beginning of its 25-year history.

Keith leaves an “inimitable legacy of many seasons and productions as their pianist,” according to a post on Facebook which also listed him as the conductor, orchestrator/arranger, historian, director of artistic administration, audition coordinator, surtitle writer, most trusted artistic advisor, as well as loyal friend, mentor, and an advocate to countless artists.

Despite long odds opera in the Heights has grown and endured. Let’s hope it will be back to full strength soon and for many more years.

TICKETS $15 ONLINE THRU SEPT 24TH $18 AFTER SEPT 24TH VIP HOSPITALITY TICKETS $60 FEATURED ARTIST MCKENZIE FISK @ M C K E N Z I E _ F I S K _ A RT

www.bayoucityartfestival.com

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FUNDED IN PART BY

THE CITY OF HOUSTON THROUGH

HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE

8 | HEIGHTS | September + October 2021

200 Artists 19 Disciplines of Art Two Performance Stages Active Imagination Zone

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Craft Beer Garden Food Trucks Boutique Wine Garden

Val Arbona

REALTOR, CLHMS, CRS

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Exquisite Luxury Contemporary home in PineyPoint Area of Memorial Villages. Master and two living areas open to the courtyard and a large backyard. The kitchen is a chef 's dream great for entertaining. 3 car garage pre-wired for a car charger.

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Sente Mortgage

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Joanne Naponic Broker/Owner

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List Price $1,495,000 | MLS# 83962829

Modern luxury in Tanglewood area. 4-6 bedroom, 4.5 bath home with high ceilings, large open living areas, tons of natural light.

First floor primary bedroom, gourmet kitchen, formal dining, study, wine grotto, butler’s pantry and mud room. Guest quarters w/ full bath & kitchen. Hardwoods throughout - no carpet.

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12 | HEIGHTS | March + April 2021

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Marilyn Arendt Broker - Owner

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Barbara Kobza

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Keller Williams Premier Realty

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Donielle (Don) Davis Designated Broker

Don Davis Luxe Realty

57 Briar Hollow Lane #3 | Briar Hollow List Price $995,000 | MLS #76883891

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Rare opportunity to purchase a patio home in a gated and wooded community in a park-like setting. First floor living with amazing views. Features first floor office, dining, and living room with great views and a dedicated breakfast area off the kitchen. Oversized patio and spacious master suite.

Joanne Naponic | Naponic Properties | 713-515-3805

Luxury Home Insurance

CARRIE OUSLEY, CIC, CISR

VICE PRESIDENT 281.224.0762 | www.carrieousley.com carrie.ousley@hubinternational.com

Debbie Strudler Fine Properties, LLC

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CLHMS, ABR, Realtor CHUBB • PURE • CINCINNATI • AIG • VAULT • BERKLEY ONE

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Gorgeous sophisticated Mid-Century Modern estate property with rare Bayou view. With a preservation mindset, the owners kept much of the original materials to capture the vintage aesthetic and stay true to the Modernist movement.

Joseph Diosana

Keller Williams Memorial

(713) 965-4338 May + June 2021

| HEIGHTS | 15

The House of Excellence

WHERE TO EAT

N O W

Five new places to check out post-pandemic

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By Marene Gustin

ow that people are starting to dine out again, here are a few places you may not have been to before, or at least not lately. Everything from Italian bites to big steaks—straight off the ranch—global cuisine, and, of course, Tex-Mex.

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Tomahawk ribeye that will set you back almost a C-note. Best values are the daily lunch specials and bonus points for King Ranch Texas Kitchen comfortable outside dining and The Sad1605 Post Oak Blvd. dle Shop, a gift store with King Ranch 832.427.3049 branded merchandise. Great spot to take kingranchtexaskitchen.com What happens when you marry two out-of-towners looking for an authentic legendary Texas figures? If it’s the King Texas experience with chef quality food.

Ranch family and hospitality king Tillman Fertitta, you get the King Ranch Texas Kitchen. This 10,000-square-foot eatery opened late last fall sporting a rus- Concura Italian Bites tic ranch décor and old photographs and 4340 Westheimer Rd., St. 150 memorabilia. The menu features home- 832.997.4220 grown ranch meats, fresh Gulf Coast concurahouston.com seafood, and locally sourced produce.

Italian for “with care,” Concura ItalFavorites include the smoked brisket ian Bites opened just this August in Highpimento grilled cheese, smoked brisket land Village. Love child of Italian fashion queso, King Ranch fried quail, and, of and design consultant Jessica Biondi and course, steaks. There’s an eight-ounce chef Angelo Cuppone, the eatery offers filet for sensible folk, and a 32-ounce flavors from Biondi’s past in Fano, Italy along the Adriatic Coast. Nibble on vitello tonnato, seafood carbonara, and marConcura inated octopus and potatoes with Taggiasche olives while sipping a Nigroni.

A nice addition to Houston’s expansive Italian food world. Concura Italian Bites was only open for dinner at press time.

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JOEY Uptown

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5045 Westheimer Rd., St. X-01 346.646.5639 joeyrestaurants.com/location/joey-uptown 14 | HEIGHTS | September + October 2021

Also just opened this summer, check out JOEY Uptown, the newest and one of the largest locations of Canadian-based JOEY Restaurant Group. With over 10,000-square-feet—with almost 2,000-square-feet of lush patio dining with a retractable roof that maybe our favorite outdoor dining spot—this luxe new eatery offers area shoppers a respite with a living green ceiling, paintings and artwork by local artists, and a wine wall. Executive chef Chris Mills, executive director Matthew Stowe and head chef Zach Helm, the menu offers hungry diners a selection from around the world. Sushi, check; Szechuan tofu lettuce wraps, check; big burgers and steaks? Check, check. Exclusive cocktails (Hurricane Crush, just in time for the end of the season), and an extensive wine menu round out the meal.

4 Railway Heights Market 8200 Washington Ave. railwayheights@companyofnomads.com Speaking of offering global eats, Railway Heights, Houston’s newest food hall, can dish up bites from multiple restaurants; everything from mac and cheese to burgers, fried chicken, and samosas. The hall also contains retail shops, a local artists’ gallery, and a wine bar. More restaurants are to come, along with a grocery store, a cheese shop, a coffee bar, and two more alcoholic bars, one a beer garden with an outdoor dog park and a stage for live entertainment. Perfect spot for shopping, playing, and dining, with lots of outdoor space.

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HOUSTON HEIGHTS HIGH SCHOOL

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NOW ENROLLING! SMALL CLASSES. BIG COMMUNITY. TUITION FREE. WHERE STUDENTS COME FIRST

Candente Handcrafted Tex-Mex 4306 Yoakum Blvd.

346.867.1156 candentehtx.com You can’t have a Houston restaurant list without one Tex-Mex spot and Candente Handcrafted makes the grade.

Opened in late 2019, you might have missed it during the 2020 lockdown, but it’s worth a visit as soon as you can.

Owned by the same folks who brought great BBQ to nearby The Pit Room, Candente adds a smoky flavor to traditional Tex-Mex via a wood-burning grill. Try the brisket nachos, a meal unto themselves, and the fajitas made with Niman Ranch skirt steak. Amazing margaritas and some delicious sangrias will help you wash down all the grub. Bonus points for the Day of Dead mural and spacious patio.

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PANTHER PRIDE SINCE 1999 September + October 2021

| HEIGHTS | 15

Enchanted: Drinking Cup (Kero) in the Form of Head, Possibly Representing a Person from the Forest (Anti or Chuncho), late 15th–18th century. Quechua. Colonial Period, Peru. Wood, natural resin, and pigments, 8 1/4 × 6 3/8 × 7 3/8 in. (21 × 16.2 × 18.7 cm). The Menil Collection, Houston. Photo: Paul Hester

Visual histories of the central andes

Pierre Verger, “Untitled (The Sun Bursts Forth in a Few Hours to Light Up the Figure of Saint Peter, Fishing in a Lake Boat of Ancient Peruvian Model, Fiesta de San Pedro, Ichu, Puno, Peru)”,1939–45.

Gelatin silver print, 8 × 7 1/4 in. (20.3 × 18.4 cm). The Menil Collection, Houston. © Fundação Pierre Verger Pierre Verger, “Untitled (Devils with Long and Sharply Pointed Horns like Sabers, Fiesta de San Pedro, Ichu, Puno, Peru),” 1939–45. Gelatin silver print, 8 × 7 1/4 in. (20.3 × 18.4 cm). The Menil Collection, Houston. © Fundação Pierre Verger

16 | HEIGHTS | September + October 2021

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at The Menil Collection

Waisted Cup (Kero) Depicting Two Musicians and Floral Elements, late 15th–18th century.

Quechua. Colonial Period, Peru. Wood, natural resin, and pigments, 5 3/4 × 5 3/8 × 5 1/4 in. (14.6 × 13.7 × 13.3 cm). The Menil Collection, Houston. Photo: Paul Hester

By Virginia Billeaud Anderson

raveling in Peru, I knocked back a lot of beer. I was especially drawn to the brand Pilsen Callao. Which made it fun to see Peruvian keros (beer cups) in the Menil Collection’s fine exhibition “Enchanted: Visual Histories of the Central Andes” through November 14, 2021.

Keros are cups used for drinking maize beer (chicha) in Andean religious or political rituals. The practice of ceremonially brewing and drinking beer goes back to ancient times. Keros varied stylistically, the pre-Inca Wari peoples favored polychrome ceramic keros, while pre-Inca Chimú artisans excelled at ornate silver and gold keros. The Menil’s keros are wood carved and adorned with colorful images. An example of ritualistic use was the Inca religious ceremony, Inti Raymi, performed on the winter solstice to ensure the return of the Sun God, Inti.

King Pachacútec lead a procession of bigshots and priests along the sacred path from Cuzco’s Temple of the Sun to the holy complex of Sacsayhuamán, where they sacrificed llamas and a few people, prayed to the sun, and drank corn beer in gold keros. Confident the sun would return, they traipsed back to Cuzco. In another example, the Chimú ritualistically downed beer and sacrificed children to the Moon god.

While rummaging through the collection, Menil curator Paul Davis came across photographs taken by French photographer Pierre Verger in Peru. Verger met John and Dominique de Menil in Buenos Aires in 1941, expressed his desire to return to the Andes to photograph religious festivals, and hit them up to underwrite his work. The de Menils agreed, and Verger (1905-1973) dedicated to them the book that helped make his reputation

as a photographic anthropologist. As well, he gifted nearly 200 gelatin silver prints made from 1939 to 1945. Davis excitedly organized an exhibition with Verger’s never before exhibited photographs, other Andean artifacts in the Menil’s collection, and additional items borrowed from the Museum of International Folk Art in New Mexico. The show’s 67 objects photographs, textile fragments, ceramics and more, trace Central Andean cultures from ancient times to the twentieth century.

Verger’s photographs of the monumental walls of Sacsayhuamán, and the interior of Machu Picchu’s Royal Tomb are straight-forward records of Inca archaeology. His photograph of a statue of Saint Peter being carried procession-style in a reed boat during the Fiesta de San Pedro, on the other hand, invites discussion.

Reed boats, commonly seen along the Peruvian coast, have been used for nearly 3,000 years. The fisherman saint Peter, worshipped by fishing communities, slid into Peru with Pizzaro’s Catholicism. Not far removed from ritualistic prayer, dancing and boozing, and rowing the saint around in reed boats, are the mythical warrior Naymlap who invaded the Lambayeque Valley with reed boats, the legendary Taycanamo who arrived on reed rafts to begin the Chimú dynasty. Also, the gods who came out of Lake Titicaca to crank-up the Inca dynasty.

Before the Spanish came plundering, there was no written history. Ceramics, however, provide abundant information to supplement archaeological evidence.

The pre-Inca Moche peoples made some of the finest and most informative pottery in existence. By studying battle scenes and sacrifices of captive warriors on Moche ceramics, historians can track Moche im-

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Textile Fragment Depicting Male Figure, Plants, and Monkeys, ca.

1400–1460. Chimú.

Late Intermediate Period, Peru. Camelid fiber and cotton, 9 5/8 x 7 ¼ in. (24.4 x 18.4 cm). The Menil Collection, Houston.

Photo: James Craven

perial expansion and military conquests. In equal measure, Moche pottery mirrors the sea’s bounty and maritime commerce. For instance, a ceramic vessel that illustrates reed rafts with cargo. The Menil’s exhibition includes a Moche stirrup-spouted ceramic vessel in the form of a sea lion from Peru’s North Coast.

Textiles are equally informative. Central Andean artisans made textiles from llama and alpaca wool, or cotton, to be worn as normal apparel, and for ceremonial purposes. A primary use was to wrap bodies and serve as grave goods. In Peru

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RAGIN-CAJUN.COM 18 | HEIGHTS | September + October 2021

you can see open pits with mummies wrapped in textiles that are remarkably unfaded. Textile fragments in the Menil’s show are similarly vibrant. One rare and precious textile fragment, the Chimú Prisoner Textile, illustrates a maritime-themed sacrificial ritual. The Prisoner Textile is a fragment of a monumental 13th century textile that decorated the red adobe wall of a nobleman’s tomb at the Chimú imperial palace and pyramid complex Chan Chan. It depicts friezes of nude, neckroped captives about to be sacrificed, and some disembodied heads. A related textile fragment decorated with sea animals helped scholars identify these prisoners as fishermen. Fish and other references to maritime activities on Chan Chan’s interior walls support this interpretation.

All those sacrifices didn’t keep the Chimú from being hammered by the Inca around 1470. The Inca stole Chan Chan’s gold and artisans and hauled them to Cuzco to make gold Inca gods, clueless of course that the Spaniard’s diseases and forced conversions were imminent. By the 18th century when a colonial-era Cuzco artist painted a religious icon painting of the patron saint of Cuzco, the Virgin of Bethlehem, seen in the exhibition, its details nodded to the indigenous past. The virgin’s garment borrows from Inca textiles and jewelry. Gold leaf on the canvas associates with the sun god Inti. The garment’s mountainous shape calls up earth mother goddess Pachamama, and links to the colorful costumes worn by dancers in Peruvian festivals.

The show has a blue and yellow feather mantle made by the Wari civilization, an imperial Central Andean culture that thrived from 600 to 1000 AD. Somewhat overlapping, the Nazca civilization on the south coast of Peru, was renowned for ceramics and elaborate textiles, and for its petroglyphs, the “Nazca lines.” I knew I would die in the single-prop plane used to see those lines. The Menil’s show has a Nazca round bottom polychrome ceramic bowl decorated with a toothy fish.

Curator Davis said vessels attributed to the Nazca (ca. 100 BCE–800 CE) are the oldest Central Andean objects in the museum’s collection. He said the fish-like beings with razor sharp teeth depicted on the Menil’s round-bottom vessel are a common Nazca motif. They are thought to represent orcas, sharks, dolphins, or a composite of these and other sea creatures.

WORTHWHILE CONVERSATIONS

HAVE WE DONE ALL WE CAN DO?

J. Harold Williams, Chairman & CEO, highlights the firm’s sponsorship of Pedal Away Alzheimer’s cycling event with Wealth Advisor, Lauren Rich, CFP®.

THIS IS NOT A TYPICAL “FINANCIAL” TOPIC. EXPLAIN YOUR MEANING… We are discussing Alzheimer’s disease. After 50 years, we’ve learned first-hand that the challenges associated with Alzheimer’s disease impact a family’s wealth planning needs. Our Wealth Management Committee, chaired by Phillip Hamman, CFA, CFP®, has devoted significant effort to help families plan and adapt their finances accordingly.

Our fiduciary mindset, however, begs a further question: “Have we done all we can do?” Hence, we are the Title Sponsor for the 2021 Pedal Away Alzheimer’s Ride.

A “RIDE”… WHAT IS THIS ALL ABOUT? If you, or someone you know, is a serious cyclist, you know of the big fundraising event every spring – the BP MS 150. This is a 2-day bike ride (actually 180 miles) from Houston to Austin raising millions of dollars

toward finding a cure for Multiple Sclerosis and offering hope to those with MS. Less heralded is the significant amount of time and training these thousands of cyclists endure to prepare for that challenging 2-day ride. The Pedal Away Alzheimer’s Ride is one of the premier fall kick-off training rides that marks the start of the training season for next year’s MS 150.

THE TIE-IN TO ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE? The important winner at the end of the ride is the Alzheimer’s Association.

The Pedal Away Alzheimer’s event benefits the Alzheimer’s Association and its research to find a cure and better treatments. I suspect if your family has not been directly touched by this, someone close to you has felt the impact. Imagine what it might feel like someday to reflect upon Alzheimer’s the way we do today about so many dreaded diseases of the past, like Polio.

WHAT MORE SHOULD WE KNOW? Get the full story on our website that provides the link to the event organizer, Ready2Roll Cycling (www. linscomb-williams.com/communityinvolvement). A number of L&W staff, as well as their family members, will be riding in the event on Saturday, September 25th. Other L&W staff will be volunteering at the event and working the rest stops for the expected 1,500 cyclists. If you are up for making the ride or just cheering us on, we hope you’ll come out and support this great cause.

For more information, or a copy of our Form ADV, Part II, with all of our disclosures, call Grant Williams at 713 840 1000 or visit www.linscomb-williams.com.

Scan to register for the 2021 Pedal Away Alzheimer’s Ride.

Linscomb & Williams is located at 1400 Post Oak Blvd., Ste. 1000 in Houston, TX For more information call 713 840 1000 or visit www.linscomb-williams.com.

Linscomb & Williams does not provide legal, accounting, or tax advice. Linscomb & Williams is not an accounting firm.

September + October 2021

| HEIGHTS | 19

Financial

FOCUS

RETIREMENT

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K C A T T A C PANI 4 Questions to See if You Are Emotionally Ready to Retire?

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etirement brings many changes which can affect your emotional well-being, for better or worse.

Retirement in the 21st century is different than it used to be. Retirement lasts longer, thanks to a longer average life expectancy, and there are more opportunities for how to spend that time.

While retirement planning concerns generally revolve around your finances in retirement, determining whether you’re emotionally prepared for this major milestone in life is just as important.

One thing we’ve observed in our 50 years of working with families at this transition point: many retirees forget to consider the emotional changes retirement can have on a person, and this can

by Lance Bowman, CFP® result in loneliness, loss of purpose and Wealth Advisor, Linscomb & Williams even depression.

If your retirement date is nearing, there are 4 important questions you a fit for you. For example, spending your days at home may sound like a dream need to ask. while you’re commuting to and from Q1: What Will You Do? work, but being home alone day after There are certain clichés about how day can get old quick. retirees spend their time – enjoying an It’s also important to address how obligation-free life and simply doing the pandemic has affected your plans. If “nothing,” working on their “bucket” you’re expecting to travel, for example, lists, golfing, visiting with grandkids, is that still possible? Are you still able having lunch with friends, traveling, to visit family or friends? Find out what etc. However, these are clichés because, your retirement personality is, and then while they are common ways retirees do discuss your plans with a financial adviin fact spend their time, they may not be sor to see if those plans are realistic.

20 | HEIGHTS | September + October 2021

Q2: Do Your Finances Support Your Plans?

Work with your financial advisor to ascertain how much money you will have to live on in retirement, because this will most certainly impact what you can actually do. Retiring and not being able to carry out the plans you had in mind can be emotionally devastating.

Talking to a financial advisor early on can help you determine pitfalls in your plans as well as ways to “find” more money in your budget to make your plans a reality. Downsizing or relocating, for example, may allow you to improve your financial situation. Relocating is common among retirees, whether it’s to be closer to family, into a senior-living facility or to an area you’ve always dreamed of living but couldn’t because of work obligations. However, a move can be a financial plus, but it can also drain your savings and shortchange your future if you forget to consider cost of living changes. Senior living facilities, for example, can be expensive.

If you plan to downsize, your monthly budget could benefit. Keep in mind that downsizing can also have emotional costs, especially for new retirees who aren’t accustomed to spending large percentages of time with a spouse or other family members.

Q3: Who Will You Spend Your Time With?

This may sound like a trivial question, but it’s important!

So many retirees assume they’ll spend time with their family or close friends, but often, those people are still working, or have plans of their own. If your plans revolve around specific people, make sure they’ll actually be available. If they will be, make sure COVID-19 hasn’t changed that.

In today’s world, we can spend time with individuals without being in the same room as them. But for many people, that’s not enough. Not having anyone to spend your free time with could inspire you to relocate. Do your finances allow for that? Remember, retirement planning in Houston may look different that retirement planning in another area.

Another available option is to work longer. When work is a big part of your life, and therefore, your identity, you may not want to retire as soon as you thought. There are pros and cons to working later in life.

Q4: What Will Give You Purpose (Especially if Your Purpose is Wrapped Up in Your Job)?

For many working Americans, retirement is a great opportunity to start volunteering for causes they find truly engaging. Volunteering can be a win-win in retirement because it not only gives retirees something to do but can provide a sense of purpose. If volunteering is part of your retirement plans, here are some tips to help you get started: 1. Know why you want to volunteer: Identifying your reasons can help lead you to the most fulfilling positions.

Choose a volunteer role that ignites your passion. Don’t fall into the trap of volunteering somewhere just because there happens to be an opening.

2. Understand the qualifications for a specific role: It’s true that many organizations are happy for anyone to volunteer, but you can be choosy. Some organizations may ask too much of your time and energy. If it’s hard to work up the enthu-

siasm to show up at the volunteer site, then you’re probably in the wrong place.

3. Consider the buddy system: It can be decidedly easier to volunteer when you do so with a friend or spouse.

4. Research your options before you retire: Are you hoping to use your professional skills in a volunteer capacity? Talk to your co-workers about organizations they donate to, work with or are passionate about. Are there mentoring opportunities that may interest you?

Take care of your emotional health after you retire. Too many seniors fall into depression when they stop working.

Take steps before you retire to mentally prepare yourself for all the changes. If possible, test drive your plans first.

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3801 Kirby Drive, Suite 100 Houston, TX (713) 520-6090 | qctailors.com September + October 2021

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ALL THINGS HOUSTON SPORTS with

JEFF

Van Gundy Jeff Van Gundy: Baseball is so difJeff Van Gundy was the head coach of the Houston Rockets from 2003 through 2007 ferent because it’s not an intensity sport. as well as the New York Knicks and still makes his home in Houston. Now he’s the lead Usually, you know, if you were running NBA analyst at ESPN. Jake, BK, and Cody, of the show Wheelhouse on ESPN Radio into that in basketball, you would try 97.5 caught up with the former coach to discuss all things Houston sports. to up the intensity level and really have Jake Asman: There’s been a lot of ey changes somebody’s love of the game, the appropriate fear of your opponent, changes in the Houston Rockets and it how much he’s willing to sacrifice to win. right? In baseball, it just seems like there all started really with the trade for James His rate of improvement. But certainly, are certain match-ups, for whatever reaHarden. How would you evaluate the you know, Green is exciting. son, that just don’t work. But I really Cody Stoots: What’s your confijob the front office led by Rafael Stone do believe, you know, Dusty Baker and dence level in Stephen Silas as the guy has done? the Houston Astros will be the last team Jeff Van Gundy: Oh, I think they and what kind of challenge does he have. standing. I think they’re going to win it.

Jeff Van Gundy: I’ve known Steven have done a tremendous job after being Jake Asman: So going from the dealt a very difficult challenge with both since he was a freshman in high school, I Astros, Jeff, to the Texans, what about Westbrook and Harden, both wanting worked with his dad. We were both assisthe over/under four and a half wins for out, you know, simultaneously. They’re tant coaches with the New York Knicks. the Houston Texans in 2021. going to have some growing pains going And ever since that time, watching SteJeff Van Gundy: Over. They’re goforward. But what they have now, once ven grow in his basketball career, both as ing to be the surprise team in the league. again, is hope. I think they have the ability a player at Brown to the NBA, the one I’m a season ticket holder, so I’m a honow through what Rafael and his staff have thing that stood out is work ethic and mer, but I really believe they’re going to done to put an exciting team on the floor. integrity. This is as fine a person as you get six wins. I don’t really remember a Brad Kellner: Jeff, you used the could want to lead your basketball team. worse situation to take over than the one word hope during that answer. The main He will not be discouraged by last year. they took over with having Dejaun Watguy who was giving Rockets fans hope His challenge is to blend the veterans son both wanting out, legal issues, and moving forward is Jalen Green, the num- with the young players and form a bond. him being healthy, but still doesn’t seem ber two pick in this year’s draft. What are You know, Eric Gordon doesn’t want to available. I’m saying six. wait three or four years. He wants to be your thoughts on Jalen Green?

Jake Asman: Let’s hope you’re Jeff Van Gundy: So much de- good now. right. Texans win seven games. There Cody Stoots: Jeff, I’m going to dispends on things we don’t know about might be a parade in this town, the way any of those young players. You know, guise this as a basketball question, but the Texans have been covered. three summer league games doesn’t tell it’s actually a baseball question. Have Jeff Van Gundy: I agree. I think you anything. It just stokes the desire you ever seen a team just not be able to about if the Astros win it all and the Texto want to see them more. But I really beat bad teams but play up to the level ans win seven. And the Rockets show do believe that consistency is the elusive of good teams like this Houston Astros great promise. It’ll be a pretty good year trait that not many players can find. We team? What do you think about these in Houston sports. don’t know about health, about if mon- Astros?

22 | HEIGHTS | September + October 2021

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