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CJ Stroud is clearly loving life in Houston.
The Texans quarterback has been the best-performing of the top three quarterbacks selected in this year's draft, going 192 passes before being intercepted – the longest stretch to begin an NFL career, and throwing for 14 touchdowns. And as it stands, his team is a respectable 4-4 in the AFC South, giving him some reason to breathe easy.
On Wednesday, Stroud was a happy spectator as his adopted city's NBA team, the Houston Rockets, routed the Los Angeles Lakers 128-94 at the Toyota Center. He even got to meet LeBron James before tip-off:
LeBron James' admiration of CJ Stroud explained
Speaking of LeBron James, he considers himself a CJ Stroud fan.
One reason is obvious: both established themselves as can't-miss prospects in Ohio – the former in high school, the latter in college. In fact, after the 2023 No. 2 pick broke the rookie record for passing yards and touchdowns against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the multiple-time NBA champion, MVP and All-Star tweeted:
Speaking to the Houston Chronicle on Wednesday before his game against the Rockets, James, who is also an Ohio State fan, revealed his praise for Stroud:
"I watched all of the former Ohio State Buckeyes games. He’s impressive. With the way he’s playing now, he’s definitely the Offensive Rookie of the Year. Very impressive, very poised and a franchise quarterback."
Last month, he also took his younger son Bryce to an Ohio State football game. The Buckeyes won 37-17, then gave Bryce an offer to play basketball for the program:
Why CJ Stroud landed with the Texans, according to general manager
It goes without saying that CJ Stroud has been a major boon to the Houston Texans, but for a time there were genuine concerns regarding his character, from low Wonderlic scores to rumors of being uncoachable. But according to general manager Nick Caserio, his character was a perfect fit for their rebuild, as he told Peter Schrager:
"You feel his presence when you're in the room with him. There's a confidence. There's a competitiveness. There's an edge, in a good way of what you want. And he has, I would say, it's that balance of confidence and humility. Like you believe in yourself, but you also have to make sure that there are times when you take a step back and you put your ego aside."
Stroud makes a homecoming of sorts in his next game, as the Texans visit the Cincinnati Bengals on Nov. 12.
