By Jenny Dial Creech

Corey Brewer sat on the bench, fidgeting, his heart pounding.

He was wearing a new uniform – white with No. 33 in bright red.

He watched as his new team, the Rockets, ran the floor, waiting for his name to be called.

With 4:23 in the first quarter, it happened. Coach Kevin McHale subbed Brewer in while a full house at Toyota Center went wild.

“I had butterflies,” Brewer, 28, said. “I was like, ‘Wow, I can’t wait to get in the game.’ When I got in the game, I was like, ‘Don’t mess up; don’t mess up.’ ”

Once the ball was in play, the jitters faded.

“I was out there, and all I had to do was play basketball,” he said. “I just had to play.”

To continue reading, visit the Houston Chronicle.