After March leg surgery, Tari Eason successfully returns to game action at Drew League

After undergoing leg surgery in early March, the Houston Rockets announced a four-month recovery timetable for Tari Eason, and general manager Rafael Stone said the expectation was for Eason to be fully available by training camp in October.

It turns out he’s right on schedule. On Sunday, July 21, Eason took part in basketball activity at the Drew League in Los Angeles, and he won Player of the Game honors while posting 26 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists in a victory for his team (per the league).

“So thankful to be able to hoop again,” Eason posted in a social media comment (via X) on Sunday afternoon.

Eason last played in an NBA game on Jan. 1. After suffering a stress reaction to his lower right leg in the 2023-24 preseason, Eason went through a series of highs and lows in trying to rest and rehabilitate the injury before choosing to correct it, surgically, in March.

As for the Drew League, it’s become something of an annual tradition for NBA players each July. The pro-am league that was once primarily comprised of semi-pro, international, and local players is now a star-studded event, with cameos from many marquee names.

For Eason, who missed 60 of Houston’s 82 games in 2023-24 after playing all 82 in his 2022-23 rookie season, it was a chance to start shaking off rust while getting some long-overdue reps in.

A first-round pick in the 2022 NBA draft, Eason averaged 9.8 points (46.6% FG, 36.0% on 3-pointers) and 7.0 rebounds in 21.8 minutes per game last season. He projects to be one of Houston’s best and most versatile defenders, and he’s a very active rebounder, as well.