The Houston Rockets announced that reserve guard Sterling Brown was the victim of an unprovoked assault on Sunday night. Thankfully, he did not suffer any major injuries, and should make a full recovery.
The team's full press release:
Last night, Sterling Brown was the victim of an assault. He had no prior knowledge of or interaction with the assailants. He suffered facial lacerations but will make a full recovery. Sterling is not playing tonight because of a prior knee injury.
The incident occurred at a nightclub in Miami, where the Rockets were on a road trip to play the Heat. Brown was jumped and hit with a bottle, according to The Athletic, and the incident was serious enough that he needed to go to the emergency room.
Prior to the team's matchup against the Heat, Rockets coach Stephen Silas noted that he has spoken with Brown since the incident and, thankfully, he will be OK. The good news is that his injuries seem relatively minor all things considered, and shouldn't impact his playing career moving forward. Brown has not played since April 10 due to a knee injury, and it's not clear when he'll return to the floor after this situation.
After spending the first three seasons of his career with the Milwaukee Bucks, Brown signed a one-year deal with the Rockets in free agency this winter. A spot starter throughout the season, Brown has played fairly well for Houston.
Through 51 games, he's averaging 8.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists, while shooting a career-high 42.3 percent from 3-point land. The latter is perhaps the most impressive aspect of his performance with the Rockets, as he struggled to shoot the ball at times earlier in his career.
With his size and defensive capabilities on the wing, he's now well on his way to establishing himself as a 3-and-D type player. And teams are always looking for guys who can fill that role.
