Houston Rockets
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Houston Rockets | |
 |
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| Conference | Western Conference |
| Division | Southwest Division |
| Founded | 1967 |
| History | San Diego Rockets 1967-1971 Houston Rockets 1971-present |
| Arena | Toyota Center |
| City | Houston, Texas |
| Team colors | Red, White, and Silver |
| Owner | Leslie Alexander |
| General manager | Daryl Morey |
| Head coach | Rick Adelman |
| D-League affiliate | Rio Grande Valley Vipers |
| Championships | 2 (1994, 1995) |
| Conference titles | 4 (1981, 1986, 1994, 1995) |
| Division titles | 4 (1977, 1986, 1993, 1994) |
| Official website | rockets.com |
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. They play in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Their recent 22 game winning streak record broke their franchise record of 15 games in a row and is the second longest winning streak in NBA history. It ended at 22 games on March 18, 2008 against the Boston Celtics.
Contents |
[edit] Franchise history
- See also: Houston Rockets seasons
[edit] San Diego Rockets
The Rockets were founded in 1967 in San Diego, and after being bought by Robert Breitbard for 1.75 million dollars,[1] they joined the NBA as an expansion team for the 1967-68 NBA season.[2] The San Diego franchise was named the Rockets, due to the city calling itself "a city of motion",[1] and during their time in San Diego, the Rockets played in the San Diego Sports Arena. Jack McMahon was named the Rockets' coach,[3] and the team's first draft pick, in 1967, was the future Hall-of Fame coach Pat Riley.[4][5] However, the Rockets went on to lose 67 games in their inaugural season,[6] which a then-NBA record for losses in a season.[7]
In 1968, the Rockets won a coin toss against the Baltimore Bullets to determine the who would have to first overall pick in the 1968 NBA Draft.[8] The Rocket selected Elvin Hayes from the University of Houston, who led the team to the franchise's first ever playoff appearance in 1969.[9] However, the Rockets lost in the semi-finals of the Western Division to the Atlanta Hawks, four games to two.[9] In 1970 NBA Draft, the Rockets drafted Calvin Murphy and Rudy Tomjanovich, who would together play all their careers, a total of 25 seasons, with the Rockets.[10][11]
Despite being coached by Hall-of-Fame coach Alex Hannum, the Rockets only tallied a 57-97 record in the following two seasons, and did not make the playoffs in either season.[12][13] Because of the low performance and attendance, Breitbard looked to sell the team,[1] and in 1971, Texas Sports Investments, which was led by real estate broker Wayne Duddleston and banker Billy Goldberg, bought the franchise for $5.6 million, and moved the team to Houston.[1] The franchise became the first basketball team in Texas,[14] and the team's nickname of "Rockets" took on even greater relevance after the move.[15]
[edit] 1970s
Because the Rockets did not have their own arena in Houston, they played during their first two years at various venues in Houston, including the Astrodome, AstroHall, and Hofheinz Pavilion. They also had to play "home" game in other cities such as San Antonio, Waco, Albuquerque, and even San Diego.[1] During their first season, the Rockets averaged less than 5,000 fans per game, and in one game in Waco, there were only 759 fans in attendance.[1]
Before the start of the 1971-72 NBA season, Hannum left for the Denver Nuggets of the American Basketball Association,[16] and Tex Winter was hired in his place.[17] However, Winter, who said that Hayes had "the worst fundamentals of any player" he had ever coached,[18] applied a system that contrasted with the offensive style to which Hayes was accustomed. Because of the differences between Winter and Hayes, Houston traded Hayes, who had led the Rockets in scoring for four straight years,[19] to the Baltimore Bullets for Jack Marin at the end of the 1971-72 season.[20] Winter left soon after, in the spring of 1973, following the Rockets 10th straight loss,[17] and he was replaced by Johnny Egan.[21]
At the beginning of the 1975-76 NBA season, the Rockets moved into their new arena, The Summit, where they won their first game 104-89 over the Milwaukee Bucks.[22] Under Egan's guidance, and as Tomjanovich, Murphy, and Mike Newlin led the way, the Rockets continued on to finish over .500 for the first time in franchise history, and they made their first appearance in the playoffs since arriving in Houston.[19] The Rockets defeated the New York Knicks, who were led by Walt Frazier and Earl Monroe in a three-game mini-series in the first round, but lost to the Boston Celtics 4-2 in the Eastern Conferencesemi-finals.[23]
At the start of the 1976-77 season, the Rockets negotiated a trade with the Buffalo Braves to acquire Moses Malone,[24] who had previously become the first player to go straight from the high school to the professional level.[25] After Malone led the Rockets in rebounding for the first of six straight times,[19] and established a then-NBA record for offensive rebounds in a season,[24] the Rockets posted a franchise-best 49 wins and finished on top of the Central Division. In the playoffs, Houston defeated the Washington Bullets in six games in the Eastern Conference semi-finals, and advanced to the conference finals for the first time in their history, but they lost to the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers 4-2.[26]
Early into 1977-78 season, at a game on December 9, 1977, Kevin Kunnert got into a fight with Kermit Washington of the Los Angeles Lakers. As Tomjanovich approached the altercation, Washington turned and threw a punch that landed squarely in the face of an approaching Tomjanovich, causing numerous fractures in his face.[27] Tomjanovich spent the next five months in rehabilitation and returned to appear in the 1978 All-Star Game, but his averages significantly declined after the injury,[28] and Houston finished with just 28 wins in the season.[29]
In the following season, Malone, Murphy, and Tomjanovich all played in the 1979 NBA All-Star Game, and Malone received the 1979 MVP Award.[24] The Rockets also sent Lucas to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Rick Barry, who went on to set the NBA record at the time for for free throw percentage in a season by shooting 94.7%.[30] The Rockets went 47-35 in Nissalke's last season as coach, and finished second in the Central Division, but they lost to Atlanta in a best-of-three first-round series.[31] In Houston's 1979-80 campaign, Del Harris replaced Nissalke as head coach, and he led the Rockets to a 41-41 record, tying the San Antonio Spurs for second place in the Central Division.[32] The Rockets defeated the Spurs two games to one in their first-round playoff series, they were swept by the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals.[32]
[edit] 1980s
In the 1980-81 season, after the newly-established Dallas Mavericks became the third NBA team in Texas,[33] the NBA restructered the conferences and sent the Rockets, who had previously played in the Eastern Conference, to the Midwest Division of the Western Conference. In Harris's second season, Houston tied with Kansas City for second place in the Midwest Division behind San Antonio with a 40-42 record, and qualified for the playoffs with just one game left.[34]
However, Houston began a playoff run began when they upset Los Angeles two games to one, and then defeated George Gervin's Spurs four games to three in the Western Conference semifinals. This resulted in an unlikely conference finals matchup with Kansas City. The Kings, led by Otis Birdsong, Scott Wedman, and Phil Ford fell to the Rockets in five games. The Rockets advanced to the finals, becoming the only team in NBA history to do so after having a losing record in the regular season.[35] However, after splitting the first four games of the series with Boston, Houston eventually lost in six games.[36].
During the season, Murphy, the shortest player in the league, set two NBA records, sinking 78 consecutive free throws to break Rick Barry's mark of 60 set in 1976 and achieving a free-throw percentage of .958, breaking Barry's record set with the Rockets in 1979. Other members of the 1980-81 team were Rudy Tomjanovich, Moses Malone, Robert Reid, Mike Dunleavy, Sr., Allen Leavell, Billy Paultz, Bill Willoughby, Calvin Garrett, Tom Henderson and Major Jones.
The following season, the Rockets improved their regular season mark to 46-36 but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. The bright spot during the 1981-82 season was that Moses Malone won the league's Most Valuable Player award.
In the 1982-83 NBA season, after trading restricted free-agent Malone to the 76ers, the Rockets fell to a league worst 14-68. In an attempt to improve the franchise's performance, Bill Fitch was hired as coach to replace Del Harris, and with the first pick of the 1983 NBA Draft, the Rockets selected Ralph Sampson from the University of Virginia. The following season was a marked improvement on the previous year. A minor footnote to this season is that Houston allegedly lost its last few games of the season intentionally in order to have a better chance to secure the #1 overall pick [37]. This was the last season of the coin-flip process as the NBA installed the Draft Lottery for the next draft to prevent teams from deliberately losing. Ralph Sampson came away with the NBA Rookie of the Year award.[citation needed]
With the first pick of the 1984 NBA Draft the Rockets selected Hakeem Olajuwon from the University of Houston. The same season, Olajuwon finished second to Michael Jordan in NBA Rookie of the Year balloting.[citation needed] With two dynamic All-Star big men, the Rockets enjoyed great success in the 1986 season, winning the Western Conference Championship in five games over the Los Angeles Lakers and competing in the 1986 NBA Finals for only the second time in team history. However, the Celtics defeated the Rockets four games to two.
In the 1987-88 NBA season, the Rockets lost in the first round of the playoffs. Don Chaney replaced Fitch as head coach. The 1988-89 and 1989-90 seasons saw the addition of Otis Thorpe and Vernon Maxwell, but two more first-round exits from the playoffs.[citation needed]
[edit] The 1990s
Between 1987 and 1992, the Rockets had winning records, but they never got past the 2nd round of the playoffs. With new coach Rudy Tomjanovich leading the way, the Rockets won 55 games in 1992-93, but the Seattle SuperSonics knocked them off in the Conference Semifinals. It has often been noted that the end of the hard-fought Western Conference semi-final match, which ended in a stirring Game 7, marked the beginning of the championship years to follow. Local sports news channels commented after the loss that while team members were naturally upset at the end of their season, they appeared inspired by the quality of play they had exhibited in the two playoff rounds and were ready to take their place as an elite NBA team. In particular, a conversation on the plane ride home from Seattle between Hakeem Olajuwon and the Rockets team owner is said to have led to greater resolve and a commitment to team leadership on the part of Olajuwon; this leadership is widely credited for the championship runs that followed.
[edit] The championship years
On July 30, 1993, Leslie Alexander purchased the Rockets. In Tomjanovich's second full year as head coach, the Rockets began the 1993-94 season with an NBA record start of 15-0. With Hakeem Olajuwon as their center, the Rockets defeated the New York Knicks in seven games to win the championship. After being down three games to two in the 1994 NBA Finals, the Rockets won the last two games on their home court, thanks to a clutch play by Olajuwon. In the waning seconds of the fourth quarter of game 6 the Rockets clung to a 2 point lead when hot shooting guard John Starks, who had scored 27 points in the game until then, pulled up for a potentially game-winning shot. Olajuwon had been blocked by a screen but recovered to block the shot and preserve the lead as time expired. This is often considered one of the greatest clutch defensive plays in NBA History.
The Rockets struggled in the first half of the 1994-95 season. In a midseason trade with Portland, the Rockets obtained star guard Clyde Drexler, who had played alongside Olajuwon at the University of Houston, in exchange for Otis Thorpe. Houston entered the playoffs as the sixth seed in the Western Conference and were underdogs against the 60-22 Utah Jazz in the first round, the 59-23 Phoenix Suns in the second round (who led the Rockets 3-1 before losing three straight), and the 62-20 San Antonio Spurs in the conference finals. In the second game of the San Antonio series, Olajuwon gave a career performance. After a pregame MVP award ceremony honoring David Robinson, Olajuwon dominated the game, outscoring Robinson 42-22 in a Rockets win. Houston won all three series to reach the Finals against the Orlando Magic, whose headline players were Shaquille O'Neal and Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway. Houston swept the series in four straight games. The Rockets became the first team in NBA history to win the championship as a sixth seed. They also became only the second team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 series deficit without homecourt advantage. In addition, the team became the first in NBA history to beat four 50-win teams in a single postseason en route to the championship.
[edit] Post-championship
After an injury riddled 1995-96 campaign, the Rockets beat the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs but were swept by the Seattle Supersonics in the second round. Houston's aging roster and the reemergence of the Chicago Bulls after Michael Jordan's return the previous season drove the Rockets to make a dramatic trade with the Phoenix Suns that swapped Sam Cassell, Chucky Brown, Mark Bryant and Robert Horry for Charles Barkley. The resulting "Big Three" of Olajuwon, Drexler, and Barkley led the Rockets to a 57-25 record, with a franchise-best 27 road wins. Houston swept Minnesota in the first round and, in a heated 7 game battle, defeated Seattle. The Rockets then fell in the Western Conference Finals to the Utah Jazz, a team they had beaten on their way to championships in '94 and '95.
The 1997-98 season was also marked by injuries, and the team finished 41-41 with the 8th seed in the Western Conference. Houston once again faced the Jazz and lost the series 3-2. Drexler retired after the season and the Rockets made another bold trade to bring in Scottie Pippen to take his place in the Big Three. While Pippen continued to play good defense, he struggled to fit into Houston's offensive system, which was dominated by Barkley and Olajuwon. As a result, the Rockets often struggled. The Rockets lost to the Lakers in the first round 3-1 of the 1999 NBA Playoffs, and during the summer Barkley and Pippen publicly displayed their dislike for each other.
Throughout the post-championship years one of the Rockets main weaknesses was the point guard position. The Rockets had signed Brent Price as the answer at the 1, but he had been severely limited by injuries. That summer the Rockets attempted to address their point guard situation by trading Price, Antoine Carr, Michael Dickerson, Othella Harrington, and a future first round pick to the Vancouver Grizzlies for Steve Francis and Tony Massenburg. Two months later the Rockets dealt the disgruntled Pippen to the Portland Trailblazers in exchange for Walt Williams, Stacey Augmon, Ed Gray, Carlos Rogers, Brian Shaw, and Kelvin Cato. The trade replenished the depth given up to obtain Francis from Vancouver.
Early in the 2000 season Barkley ruptured the quadriceps tendon in his left knee in a game against Philadelphia. When considering his career-ending injury, Barkley displayed his trademark wit by observing, "I'm just what America needs - another unemployed black man." Barkley would go on to rehab and make a token appearance towards the end of the season. With injuries to Barkley and Olajuwon, the rebuilt Rockets went 34-48 and missed the playoffs.
[edit] 21st century
In 2001, the Rockets worked their way to a 45-37 record and swept every Central Division team, but still did not make the playoffs. An older, waning Olajuwon was traded to the Toronto Raptors in 2001 which left Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley to fill leadership roles. The following season was unremarkable, as the team was mostly made up of rookies and journeymen. Injuries to star player Steve Francis forced him to miss many games. The first season without Hakeem in almost 20 years was a disappointing 28-54.
The abysmal 2002 season had its silver lining, as the Rockets were awarded the first overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft. The Rockets selected Yao Ming, a 7 foot and 6 inch Chinese center, who played for the Shanghai Sharks. The 2002-03 basketball season saw marked improvement for the Rockets, with the trio of Yao, Francis, and Mobley leading the team to a 43-39 record. Tomjanovich retired as Rockets coach after being diagnosed with cancer and was replaced by Jeff Van Gundy.
With a 2003-04 regular season record of 45-37, the Rockets earned their first playoff berth since their first round exit to the Lakers in 1999. However, the Lakers again handed the Rockets a loss in the first round. The offseason saw major changes in the roster and dynamic of the team as Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Cato were traded to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Tracy McGrady, Juwan Howard, Tyronn Lue and Reece Gaines.
The 2004-05 season saw McGrady and Yao lead the Rockets to their best record in 10 years, finishing at 51-31 and seeded 5th in the Western Conference Playoffs. Their season ended in the first round of the playoffs as they lost to their in-state rival, the Dallas Mavericks four games to three. During the 2005 offseason the Rockets obtained Stromile Swift and Derek Anderson. They also traded Mike James to the Toronto Raptors for Rafer Alston.
Injuries plagued the 2005-06 season. Bob Sura had surgery on his knee the summer prior, Tracy McGrady fought an injured back throughout the season, Yao Ming required surgery to treat an infection in his toe, and David Wesley even fractured a rib falling into a courtside cameraman near the end of the season. With Yao and McGrady rarely on the court at the same time, the Rockets floundered. The team was much more successful during the few portions of the season when its players were relatively healthy. However Jeff Van Gundy and his team frequently expressed the need to play beyond injuries and to not use bad luck as an excuse for losing. By the end of the season, the Rockets led the league in most games missed by players on the roster. The team finished with a 34-48 record.
[edit] 2006-2007
The Rockets drafted Rudy Gay from the University of Connecticut with the 8th pick of the first round in the 2006 NBA Draft but then traded him and Stromile Swift for Shane Battier who played for the Memphis Grizzlies.The team had a good season led by Tracy McGrady and veteran support from Dikembe Mutombo and Juwan Howard. The Rockets finished that season with a 52-30 record despite injuries; finishing 5th in the Western Conference and claiming the seed from the Utah Jazz. However, once again, Tracy McGrady and the Houston Rockets were unable to pull out of the first round, losing in Game 7 to Utah 103-99. Head Coach Jeff Van Gundy was fired on May 18, 2007.[38]
[edit] 2007-2008
- Main articles: 2007-08 Houston Rockets season
Houston began the 2007-08 season with recently hired Rick Adelman as the team's 11th head coach.[39]
On June 14, the Rockets traded Juwan Howard to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Mike James and Justin Reed.[40]
In the 2007 NBA Draft, with the 26th pick, the Houston Rockets selected PG Aaron Brooks, from Oregon, traded with the SuperSonics to receive Pick #31 PF Carl Landry from Purdue, and with the 54th overall pick selected SG Brad Newley from Australia.
On July 12, guard Vassilis Spanoulis was traded to the San Antonio Spurs along with the rights for the 2009 second-round draft pick. In return, the Rockets received center Jackie Butler and the rights to Luis Scola, a 2002 second-round draft pick yet to play in the NBA. 24 hours after this deal was made, Scola came to a "Basic Agreement" which could see him playing for the Rockets next season.[41] Less than a week later, Scola signed with the Rockets. Scola has performed well during the season, sharing minutes at the power forward position with current starting power forward Chuck Hayes. Scola has brought some much needed rebounding and inside presence that the Rockets desperately showed a lack of in their 2006 NBA Playoffs loss to the Utah Jazz,and he came at a very small price as the Rockets traded away seldolm-used Vassilis Spanoulis for him. Hopefully, Scola will be another piece of the puzzle that the Rockets are attempting to build so they can regain their elite championship stats from the 1990s. [42]
On July 20 guard Steve Francis signed a 2 year deal with the Rockets, ten days after he accepted a buyout of the last two seasons of his $30 million contract with the Portland Trail Blazers. He is expected to compete for a starting job with Mike James and Rafer Alston. However, so far throughout the season, the point guard issues have been inconsistent and difficult to work with, because the Rockets have five point guards fighting for playing time. Francis actually did not play for the first several games of the season and many fans began to wonder if head coach Rick Adelman would ever play him and if bringing Francis back to Houston was the right move. However, Francis's playing time has steadily increased as the season has progressed, but knee injuries sidelined him again. [43]
On September 7, it was also announced that the Rockets will debut a new court design for the 2007-08 season. The court design includes a lighter varnished wood inside the three point area, similar to the Seattle Supersonics, while the rest are dark varnished wood. The color red will remain on the Rockets logo, and the script. This court design is similar to the Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers and New Orleans Hornets, in which most of the hardwood is exposed.[44]
On March 16, the Rockets achieved a 22-game winning streak, setting a franchise record and notching the 2nd longest winning streak in NBA history. The last 10 games were won despite the absence of star center Yao Ming who suffered a season-ending foot injury.[45] On March 18, the streak came to an end at the hands of the Boston Celtics with 94-74 loss.
The Rockets finished their season 55-27.
The Rockets were eliminated by the Utah Jazz in the first round of the playoffs, 4 games to 2, to end the Rockets 2007-2008 season.[46]
[edit] Home arenas
San Diego Rockets
- San Diego Sports Arena (1967-1971)
Houston Rockets
- Hofheinz Pavilion (1971-1975)
- HemisFair Arena (San Antonio) (1972-1973)
- The Summit (later "Compaq Center") (1975-2003)
- Toyota Center (2003-present)
[edit] Logos and uniforms
[edit] Logos
 Logo from 1967-1971 |
 Logo from 1971-1972 |
 Logo from 1972-1995 |
 Logo from 1995-2003 |
 2003-Current logo |
[edit] Uniforms
Upon the opening of the Toyota Center arena in 2003, the Rockets decided to re-brand themselves with a new uniform. The Rockets changed from the authentic blue shooting star striped uniform to a modern red and white that accommodated their new logo.
[edit] Players of Significance
[edit] Current roster
- For the complete list of Houston Rockets players see: Houston Rockets all-time roster.
- For the players drafted by Houston Rockets, see: List of Houston Rockets first and second-round draft picks.
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Houston Rockets roster
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[edit] Unsigned Overseas Draft Picks
| Name | Current Team | League(s) | NBA Position | Height | Weight | Born |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sergei Lishchuk | Azovmash Mariupol | Ukrainian League / ULEB Cup | F/C | 6'11" | 244 lbs. | March 31, 1982 |
| Venson Hamilton | Real Madrid | Spanish League / Euroleague | PF | 6'9" | 254 lbs. | August 11, 1977 |
| Lior Eliyahu | Maccabi Tel Aviv | Israeli League / Euroleague | SF/PF | 6'9" | 225 lbs. | September 9, 1985 |
| Brad Newley | Panionios | Greek League / Euroleague | SG | 6'7" | 205 lbs. | February 18, 1985 |
| Kyle Hill | Snaidero Udine | Italian League | PG | 6'2" | 185 lbs. | April 7, 1979 |
[edit] Hall of Famers
- Charles Barkley (2006)
- Rick Barry (1987)
- Clyde Drexler (2004)
- Elvin Hayes (1990)
- Moses Malone (2001)
- Calvin Murphy (1993)
- Hakeem Olajuwon (2008)
[edit] Retired numbers
- 22 Clyde Drexler, G, 1995-98; also Houston native and University of Houston star and former head coach, currently Houston Rockets broadcaster
- 23 Calvin Murphy, G, 1970-83 (including last season in San Diego); also Broadcaster
- 24 Moses Malone, C, 1976-82
- 34 Hakeem Olajuwon, C, 1984-2001
- 45 Rudy Tomjanovich, F, 1970-81; Head Coach, 1991-2003
- CD Carroll Dawson Assistant coach, General Manager 1979-2007. As Dawson did not play for the Rockets, the team used his initials in memoriam.
[edit] High Points
[edit] Individual Awards
- Moses Malone - 1979, 1982
- Hakeem Olajuwon - 1994
- Hakeem Olajuwon - 1994, 1995
NBA Defensive Player of the Year
- Hakeem Olajuwon - 1993, 1994
- Ralph Sampson - 1984
- Steve Francis - 2000
NBA Player ESPY Award
- Hakeem Olajuwon - 1995, 1996
- Tom Nissalke - 1977
- Don Chaney - 1991
- Ray Patterson - 1977
- Moses Malone - 1979, 1982
- Hakeem Olajuwon - 1987, 1988, 1989, 1993, 1994, 1997
- Moses Malone - 1980, 1981
- Ralph Sampson - 1984
- Hakeem Olajuwon - 1986, 1990, 1996
- Yao Ming - 2007
- Tracy McGrady - 2007
- Hakeem Olajuwon - 1991, 1995, 1999
- Clyde Drexler - 1995
- Yao Ming - 2004, 2006, 2008
- Tracy McGrady - 2005, 2008
- Hakeem Olajuwon - 1987, 1988, 1990, 1993, 1994
- Rodney McCray - 1988
- Moses Malone - 1979
- Hakeem Olajuwon - 1985, 1991, 1996, 1997
- Rodney McCray - 1987
- Shane Battier - 2008
- Elvin Hayes - 1969
- Calvin Murphy - 1971
- Joe Meriweather - 1976
- John Lucas - 1977
- Ralph Sampson - 1984
- Hakeem Olajuwon - 1985
- Steve Francis - 2000
- Yao Ming - 2003
- Luis Scola - 2008
- Robert Horry - 1993
- Matt Maloney - 1997
- Cuttino Mobley - 1999
- Michael Dickerson - 1999
- Eddie Griffin - 2002
- Luther Head - 2006
- Carl Landry - 2008
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f "Owners, fans waited years before Rockets took off", Houston Chronicle, September 20, 2001. Retrieved on 2008-05-13.
- ^ Going Retro: Houston Rockets. NBA.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-13.
- ^ Jack McMahon. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-13.
- ^ Houston Rockets Draft Register (basketball-reference.com). Retrieved on 2008-05-13.
- ^ "NBA Hall of Fame 2008", NBA.com, April 7, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-05-13.
- ^ 1967-68 San Diego Rockets. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-13.
- ^ "A Roundup Of The Sports Information Of The Week", Sports Illustrated, March 25, 1968. Retrieved on 2008-05-13.
- ^ Kalb, Elliott (2003). Who's Better, Who's Best in Basketball?. McGraw-Hill Professional, 302. ISBN 0071417885.
- ^ a b 1968-69 San Diego Rockets. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-13.
- ^ Rudy Tomjanovich. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-13.
- ^ Calvin Murphy. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-13.
- ^ 1969-70 San Diego Rockets. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-13.
- ^ 1970-71 San Diego Rockets. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-13.
- ^ Booming Economy. houstonhistory.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-13.
- ^ Houston, whose nickname is "Space City" has been home to the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center for over 45 years.Johnson Space Center. NASA. Retrieved on 2008-05-13. The Astros and Comets also gave their teams similar space-themed names.
- ^ Alex Hannum Coaching Record. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-14.
- ^ a b Tex Winter Coaching Record. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-14.
- ^ Rosen, Charley. "True tales from the camp fires", ESPN.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-14.
- ^ a b c Houston Rockets. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-14.
- ^ Elvin Hayes Bio. NBA.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-14.
- ^ Houston Rockets Coach Register. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-15.
- ^ "This Date In Compaq Center History", nba.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-15.
- ^ 1974-75 Houston Rockets. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-15.
- ^ a b c Moses Malone Bio. NBA.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-15.
- ^ "Force Stories: Moses Malone", NikeBasketball.com, November 17, 2006. Retrieved on 2008-05-15.
- ^ 1976-77 Houston Rockets. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-15.
- ^ Kirkpatrick, Curry. "Shattered And Shaken", Sports Illustrated, January 2, 1978. Retrieved on 2008-05-29.
- ^ Moore, David Leon. "New start from old wounds", USA Today, November 26, 2002. Retrieved on 2008-05-29.
- ^ 1977-78 Houston Rockets. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-29.
- ^ Rick Barry Bio. NBA.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-29.
- ^ 1978-79 Houston Rockets. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-29.
- ^ a b 1979-80 Houston Rockets. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-29.
- ^ Mavs History. NBA.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-30.
- ^ 1980-81 Houston Rockets. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-30.
- ^ "Is Warriors over Mavs greatest upset ever?", ESPN.com, May 4, 2007. Retrieved on 2008-05-30.
- ^ Celtics Return to Glory. NBA.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-30.
- ^ SI.com - Writers - Jon Wertheim: Pacers' Curse of Tom Owens - Thursday October 28, 2004 4:13PM
- ^ Van Gundy dismissed as Rockets coach. Houston Chronicle (2007-05-18).
- ^ Jonathan Feigen (2007-05-21). Adelman reaches deal to coach Rockets. Houston Chronicle.
- ^ Marc Stein (2007-06-14). Rockets, Wolves finalize swap of Howard, James.. ESPN.
- ^ Jonathan Feigen (2007-07-14). Scola to play for rockets. Houston Chronicle.
- ^ Damien Pierce (2007-07-17). Scola signed rockets. Rockets Official Website.
- ^ Jonathan Feigen (2007-07-20). Francis returns to Rockets. Houston Chronicle.
- ^ Damien Pierce (2007-09-07). Home Improvement. Rockets Official Website.
- ^ Yao done for season with stress fracture in left foot
- ^ Jazz eliminated Rockets
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Chicago Bulls 1991 & 1992 & 1993 |
NBA Champions Houston Rockets 1994 & 1995 |
Succeeded by Chicago Bulls 1996 & 1997 & 1998 |
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| Baseball | MLB: Houston Astros, CBL: Bay Area Toros |
| Basketball | NBA: Houston Rockets, WNBA: Houston Comets, ABA: Houston Takers |
| Football | NFL: Houston Texans, IFL: Katy Ruff Riders, af2: Texas Copperheads, APFL: Conroe Storm, NAFL: Houston Sharks, Montgomery County Bulls, Bay Area Gamblers, IIFA: Harris County Militia, Galveston Tidalwave, WPFL: Houston Energy |
| Australian Rules Football | USAFL: Houston Lonestars |
| Soccer | MLS: Houston Dynamo, PDL: Houston Leones |
| Hockey | AHL: Houston Aeros |
| Tennis | WTT: Houston Wranglers |
| College athletics (NCAA Division I) |
Houston Cougars • Houston Baptist Huskies • Prairie View A&M Panthers • Rice Owls • Texas Southern Tigers |
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