NEW YORK and HOUSTON -

Vroom launched a new television commercial on Tuesday that features New York Knicks All-Star Julius Randle, but the online auto retailer also made a move this week that may be of interest to fans of the Houston Rockets, as well.

First the new ad.

The spot featuring Randle began airing Tuesday during local NBA games, as the season officially tipped off, and will continue to run throughout the season. The ad is part of the company’s partnership with Playfly Sport’s Home Team Sports platform.

In a news release, Vroom described the ad with the Knicks forward as a “humorous take on the unfortunate results consumers can experience purchasing cars from untrusted sources.”

“As both a parent with a young family and a professional athlete, I want to spend as much of my time as possible with the people that mean the most to me, not at a car dealership,” Randle said in a release. “The ability to choose from such a wide variety of cars and have them delivered directly to my door fits my lifestyle perfectly.”

Vroom continues to utilize live sports as an advertising avenues, having debuted a Super Bowl spot earlier this year and aired ads during the Tokyo Olympics this summer as well as during NFL games this fall.

“Live sports continues to be a great opportunity for us to introduce Vroom to a large, highly-engaged audience,” Vroom chief marketing officer Peter Scherr said in a news release.

“Partnering with a player of Julius Randle’s stature, who is at the top of his sport, allows us to connect even deeper with local fans in a fun and engaging way that shines a light on what makes our brand offering so special,” he said.

Playfly Sports chief operating officer Craig Sloan added: “Vroom understands that you simply cannot beat the connection to a home team audience, one that tunes in to root enthusiastically for their team night after night.

“Our team leaned into Vroom’s success as a disruptive and thriving brand to develop really smart creative that we know will excite fans throughout the season.”

In other news from the company, Vroom said Wednesday it has opened a hub in the Houston suburb of Stafford, Texas.

Vroom has delivered vehicles in that market since 2012 and has more than 900 employees in the area, who work in its reconditioning center, executive officers, Texas Direct Auto dealership, Sell Us Your Car locations and this new Last Mile Hub.

With this new hub, however, Vroom said it is able to “create a more customized driveway experience for nearly 7.1 million people in more than 455 zip codes within a 75-mile radius.”

Through the hub, Vroom will also be able to inspect, detail and add temporary tags to vehicles delivered to or picked up in the state.

“As Vroom’s business continues to grow, we’re committed to investing in the Houston area, from expanding our physical footprint, to hiring more local workers, to offering new services for our valued customers,” Vroom chief logistics officer Mary Kay Wegner said in the release.

 “Creating a more personalized driveway experience, rolling out more local hubs across the country, and expanding our senior logistics team have been big priorities for us, so we’re excited to launch this offering in Houston, one of our home cities.”

It has been a busy October from the company.

Vroom announced Oct. 12 that it has reached a deal to purchase United Auto Credit Corp. for $300 million in cash, subject to adjustment depending on the closing book value of United Auto Credit.

The acquisition would further push Vroom into building captive financing capabilities. Additionally, integrating United Auto Credit’s non-prime financing capabilities can help allow consumers from additional credit tiers to purchase on the Vroom platform, the company said.

United Auto Credit will be added to the existing lineup of auto finance options on the Vroom platform. Meanwhile, both companies will work on integrating United Auto Credit’s services and build Vroom’s captive finance operation