{
  "id": 9244464,
  "title": "Rockets news: Marcus Smart warns teams with 'scary' 2026-27 Houston outlook",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/rockets-news-marcus-smart-warns-teams-with-scary-2026-27-houston",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-23T01:53:57.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/rockets-news-marcus-smart-warns-015357227.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a recent interview with the Houston Rockets, Marcus Smart, who joined the team in September 2026, warned that the squad could pose significant challenges to their competitors in the upcoming 2026-27 season. Smart, a former Defensive Player of the Year, emphasized that the Rockets are \"scary\" and will present problems for various teams. He expressed his belief that the team will demand a tough fight and effort to win. Smart's assessment of the Rockets' capabilities is rooted in his previous experience facing them during the 2026 playoffs while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers, missing key players Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic due to injuries, managed to defeat the Rockets in six games, with Smart contributing significantly to the victory in Game 3 through a crucial steal.",
  "summary": "Marcus Smart is officially a member of the Houston Rockets and recently had his introductory press conference on Tuesday. The former Defensive Player of the Year spoke about the Houston Rockets’ potential last season as a competitor and now, as a member of the squad. “My perception, definitely on the outside looking in, was that d*mn this team is […] The post Rockets news: Marcus Smart warns…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Rockets' free agent signing Marcus Smart eager to play with Kevin Durant",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/rockets-free-agent-signing-marcus-smart-eager-to-play-with-kevin",
        "published": "2026-09-22T22:13:53.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}