Houston billionaire Tilman Fertitta interested in buying the Rockets

Billionaire restaurateur Tilman Fertitta, owner of Landry's Inc., one of the nation's biggest restaurant corporations, says he's interested in buying the Houston Rockets.

"I've always had an interest in the Rockets," Fertitta told KRIV-TV in Houston. "It's one of Houston's four major teams. It would be exciting. This is my home. I've looked at other teams, but it's hard to be involved with another team when Houston is your home."

He told KTRK-TV in Houston that he would consider purchasing the team by himself if the numbers were right. "If it's an unreasonable number, I'll pull a group together, and if it's a crazy number, I won't participate, " he said.

Fertitta also said he'd keep the Rockets in Houston.

An original investor in the Houston Texans, Fertitta offered $81 million to buy the Rockets in 1993, but the team was sold to current owner Leslie Alexander for $85 million.

In February, Forbes valued the team at an estimated $1.65 billion.

It was announced Monday that the Rockets are for sale.

Tillman's Houston-based company owns and operates more than 500 locations that includes restaurants, entertainment entities, and gaming and hospitality facilities, including the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casinos, Morton's The Steakhouse, The Rainforest Cafe, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. and McCormick & Schmick's Seafood & Steaks.