When I was in the Army, my family and I were stationed in Baumholder, Germany, and lived on a military installation located on top of a mountain.

One morning as I got up to start my day, my late wife was staring out of the window in the kitchen. I didn’t want to disturb her because she looked peaceful. I became curious about what she might be looking at and so I asked inquisitively, but with hesitation what she was staring at.

“The scenery,” she responded. “This place is beautiful and so peaceful. I never imagined in my lifetime that I would be standing here, looking out into the mountains, especially after everything I have been through in my lifetime. My outlook on life is so different now.”

That entire scenario popped up in my mind on Tuesday at Houston Rockets Media Day as I listened to guard Kevin Porter Jr. describe how much his life changed when the Rockets traded for him in January of this year.

“This organization saved my life, potentially,” said Porter about the Houston Rockets. “I just love being here, and I want to be here for a while. I needed a new scenery and they picked me up when I was down.”

The scenery that Porter was trying to escape was the Cleveland Cavaliers organization who traded for him in the 2019 NBA Draft after being selected 30th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks.

His time with the Cavaliers was not the best as he had some off the court issues that hindered his progression and his playing days came to an end in Cleveland when he got into a shouting match with team officials after having his locker given away to Taurean Prince who the Cavaliers had acquired via trade.

Porter Jr., 21, has flourished with the Rockets since being called up from the G-League. In 26 games played (23 starts), Porter averaged 16.6 points and 6.3 assists. He attributes all the success he has had with the team to his interactions with the Rockets staff, especially coach Silas who he says reaches out to him to talk about more than just basketball.

“Coach Silas took me under his wing,” Porter responded when asked about the importance of coach Silas in his life. “We talk a lot. We talk about food and the beach. Just regular everyday conversations and that means the most to me.”

Coming into the 2021-22 season, Porter will experience another change of scenery as the Rockets have made him the full-time starter at point guard after the recent announcement from veteran point guard John Wall and general manager Rafael Stone to have Wall be a part of the team, but not participate in any games as they work out a best-fit trade for Wall.