The Houston Rockets
are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in National Basketball Association (NBA). The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being moved to Houston. [1]
In the Rockets' debut season, they won only 15 games. But after drafting Elvin Hayes first overall in the 1969 NBA Draft, they made their first appearance in the playoffs in 1969. After Hayes was traded, Moses Malone was acquired to replace him. Malone won two MVPs during his time in Houston, and he led the Rockets to the conference finals in his first year with the Rockets. He also took the Rockets to the NBA Finals in 1981, but they were defeated in six games by the Boston Celtics.
In 1984, the Rockets drafted future Hall-of-Famer Hakeem Olajuwon, who led them to the 1986 Finals in his second year, where they lost again to Boston. In the next seven seasons, they lost in the first round of the playoffs five times. They did not win their first championship until 1994, when Olajuwon led them to the championship, and 1995. However, the Rockets did not advance to the finals again, and missed the playoffs from 1999–2003. They did not reach the playoffs again until they drafted Yao Ming and they did not advance past the first round of the playoffs again until 2009. [2]
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Franchise history
San Diego Rockets (1967–1971)
thumb.
The Rockets were founded in 1967 in
San Diego, and after being bought by Robert Breitbard for 1.75 million
dollars,
they joined the NBA as an expansion team for the
1967–68 NBA season.
[3] The San Diego franchise nickname became the "Rockets" due to the city calling itself "a city of motion".
Jack McMahon was named the Rockets' coach,
[4] and the team's first draft pick, in
1967, was the future Hall of Fame coach
Pat Riley.
[5] [6] However, the Rockets went on to lose 67 games in their inaugural season,
[7] which was then an NBA record for losses in a season.
[8]
In 1968, after the Rockets won a coin toss against the
Baltimore Bullets to determine who would have the first overall pick in the
1968 NBA Draft,
[9] they selected
Elvin Hayes from the
University of Houston.
[10] Hayes led the team to the franchise's first ever
playoff appearance in 1969,
[11] but the Rockets lost in the semi-finals of the Western Division to the
Atlanta Hawks, four games to two.
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.
[12] [13]
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.
[14] [15] Because of the low performance and attendance, Breitbard looked to sell the team,
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.
The franchise became the first NBA team in Texas,
[16] and the team's nickname of "Rockets" took on even greater relevance after the move.
[17]
Improving in Houston (1971–1981)
Before the start of the
1971–72 NBA season, Hannum left for the
Denver Nuggets of the
American Basketball Association,
[18] and
Tex Winter was hired in his place.
[19] However, Winter, who said that Hayes had "the worst fundamentals of any player" he had ever coached,
[20] 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,
[21] to the
Baltimore Bullets for
Jack Marin at the end of the 1971–72 season.
[22] Winter left soon after, in the spring of 1973, following the Rockets 10th straight loss,
and he was replaced by
Johnny Egan.
[23]
In the
1975–76 NBA season the Rockets finally had a permanent home in Houston as they moved into
The Summit, which they would call home for the next 28 years. Under Egan's guidance, and as Tomjanovich, Murphy, and
Mike Newlin led the way, the Rockets finished over .500 for the first time in franchise history, and they made their first appearance in
the playoffs since arriving in Houston.
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 Conference semi-finals.
[24]
At the start of the
1976–77 season, the Rockets negotiated a trade with the
Buffalo Braves to acquire
Moses Malone,
[25] who had previously become the first player to go straight from the high school to the professional level.
[26] After Malone led the Rockets in rebounding for the first of six straight times,
and established a then-NBA record for offensive rebounds in a season,
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.
[27]
Early into the
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.
[28] 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,
[29] and Houston finished with just 28 wins in the season.
[30]
In the
following season, Malone, Murphy, and Tomjanovich all played in the 1979 NBA All-Star Game, and Malone received the 1979
MVP Award.
The Rockets also sent
John Lucas II to the
Golden State Warriors in exchange for
Rick Barry, who went on to set the NBA record at the time for
free throw percentage in a season by shooting 94.7%.
[31] 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.
[32] 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.
[33] 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.
In the
1980–81 season, after the newly-established
Dallas Mavericks became the third NBA team in Texas,
[34] the NBA restructured 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.
[35] During the season, Murphy set two NBA records, by 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.
[36]
In the playoffs, Houston began a run that 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.
[37] This resulted in a conference finals matchup with the Kansas City Kings, who were led by
Otis Birdsong,
Scott Wedman, and
Phil Ford. When the Kings fell to the Rockets in five games,
the Rockets became the only team in NBA history to advanced to the Finals after having a losing record in the regular season.
[38] However, after splitting the first four games of the series with
Boston, Houston eventually lost in six games.
[39]
The Twin Towers (1981–1993)
The
following season, the Rockets improved their regular season mark to 46–36 but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
[40] Although Malone won the league's Most Valuable Player award in that season,
in the following offseason, the Rockets traded him to the
Philadelphia 76ers for
Caldwell Jones,
to avoid paying his salary.
When the Rockets finished a league worst 14–68,
[41] Celtics coach
Bill Fitch was hired to replace outgoing
Del Harris,
[42] and after winning a coin flip with the
Indiana Pacers to obtain the first pick of the
1983 NBA Draft,
the Rockets selected
Ralph Sampson from the
University of Virginia.
[43]
Although the Rockets finished only 29–53 in the
1983–1984 season,
Ralph Sampson was awarded the
NBA Rookie of the Year award,
[44] after averaging 21 points and 11 rebounds per game.
Houston was again given the first pick of the
1984 NBA Draft, and they used it to select
Hakeem Olajuwon from the
University of Houston.
[45] In his first season, Olajuwon finished second to
Michael Jordan in NBA Rookie of the Year balloting,
[46] and the Rockets record improved by 19 games, although they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
[47] In the
following season, both Olajuwon and Sampson were named to the Western Conference All-Stars in that year's
all-star game,
[48] and the duo was nicknamed the "Twin Towers".
[49] In the
playoffs, the Rockets defeated the
Los Angeles Lakers in the conference finals in five games, after Sampson hit a
buzzer beater to win Game 5, which Sampson said was "greatest moment of my basketball career".
[50] The Rockets competed in the
finals for only the second time in team history,
[51] but the Celtics once again defeated the Rockets in the finals in six games.
In the
next year, the Rockets again made the
playoffs, and advanced to the second round, before being eliminated by the
Seattle SuperSonics.
[52] However, in the next three seasons, the Rockets were eliminated three straight times in the first round of the playoffs,
[53] [54] [55] despite
Don Chaney replacing Fitch as head coach in 1988.
[56]
Chaney was named the
Coach of the Year for the
1990–91 season,
but the Rockets were once again eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, 3–0 to the Lakers.
[57] Midway through the next season, with the Rockets' record only 26–26, Chaney was replaced by former Houston player Tomjanovich.
[58] Although the Rockets did not make the playoffs,
in the next year, the Rockets won-loss record improved by 13 games, as they won 55 games.
[59] However, the Seattle SuperSonics eliminated them in the conference semifinals.
Contending for the championship (1993–2000)
On July 30, 1993,
Leslie Alexander purchased the Rockets for $85 million.
[60] In Tomjanovich's second full year as head coach, the Rockets began the
1993–94 season by tying an NBA record with start of 15–0.
[61] Led by Olajuwon, who was named the MVP and
Defensive Player of the Year,
[62] the Rockets won a franchise-record 58 games.
[63] The Rockets recovered from being two games down to the
Phoenix Suns in the second round of the
playoffs,
[64] to advance to the
finals.
Houston once again went down by three games to two to the
New York Knicks, but they managed to win the last two games on their home court, and claim their first championship in franchise history.
Olajuwon was awarded the
Finals MVP, after averaging 27 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots a game.
The Rockets initially struggled in the first half of the
1994–95 season,
[65] and ended up winning only 47 games, which was 11 games lower than their previous year's total.
[66] In a midseason trade with
Portland, the Rockets obtained guard
Clyde Drexler, a former teammate of Olajuwon at the
University of Houston,
[67] in exchange for
Otis Thorpe.
[68] Houston entered
the playoffs as the sixth seed in the Western Conference, but managed to defeat the 60–22
Utah Jazz in the first round.
They fell behind 3–1 to the 59–23
Phoenix Suns in the second round, but won three straight to win the series, and became only the first team in NBA history to overcome a both a 2–0 and 3–1 series deficit in a seven-game series.
[69] The Rockets then beat the 62–20
San Antonio Spurs in the conference finals,
to reach
the Finals against the
Orlando Magic, led by
Shaquille O'Neal and
Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway.
[70] When Houston swept the series in four straight games,
they became the first team in NBA history to win the championship as a sixth seed, and the first to beat four 50-win teams in a single postseason en route to the championship.
[71] Olajuwon, who had averaged 35.3 points and 12.5 rebounds against the Spurs and regular-season MVP
David Robinson in the conference finals,
[72] was named the Finals MVP, becoming only the second player after
Michael Jordan to win the award two years in a row.
The Rockets won 48 games in the
1995–96 campaign,
[73] in which Olajuwon became the NBA's all-time leader in
blocked shots.
[74] They beat the Lakers in the first round of the
playoffs, but were swept by the
Seattle SuperSonics in the second round.
Before the start of the succeeding season, the Rockets made a dramatic trade that sent four players to
Phoenix for
Charles Barkley.
[75] The resulting "Big Three" of Olajuwon, Drexler, and Barkley led the Rockets to a 57–25 record,
[76] and Houston swept Minnesota in the
first round. However, after a 7-game battle with Seattle, the Rockets fell in the Western Conference finals to the
Utah Jazz, a team they had beaten on their way to championships in 1994 and 1995.
The
1997–98 season was marked by injuries,
[77] and the team finished 41–41 with the 8th seed in the Western Conference.
[78] Houston once again faced the Jazz, this time in the first round, and they lost the series 3–2.
Drexler retired after the season,
[79] and the Rockets made another bold trade to bring in
Scottie Pippen to take his place.
[80] In the strike-shortened
1998–99 season, the Rockets went 31–19, but lost to the Lakers in the first round 3–1 of the
playoffs.
[81] After the
1999 draft, the Rockets traded for the third overall pick
Steve Francis from the
Vancouver Grizzlies, in exchange for four players and a first-round draft pick.
[82] However, after Houston traded a discontented Pippen to Portland,
[83] and Barkley suffered a career-ending injury,
[84] the rebuilt Rockets went 34–48 and missed the playoffs,
[85] for only the second time in 15 years.
21st century
2001–2004: Yao Ming Era
In the
2000–01 season, the Rockets worked their way to a 45–37 record, but still did not make the playoffs.
[86] In the following offseason, a 38-year old Olajuwon requested a trade, and, despite stating their desire to keep him, the Rockets reached a
sign-and-trade agreement, sending him to the
Toronto Raptors.
[87] The proceeding season was unremarkable, as Houston's first season without Hakeem in almost 20 years was a disappointing 28–54.
[88] However, after Houston was awarded the first overall pick in the
2002 NBA Draft, they selected
Yao Ming, a 7 foot 6 inch
Chinese center.
[89] The Rockets' record improved by 15 games,
[90] but they missed the playoffs by one game.
[91]
2004–present: Yao and T-Mac duo
thumb in the 2008 playoffs.
In the
following season, Houston began playing in their new arena, the
Toyota Center,
[92] and redesigned their uniforms and logo,
[93] as long-time coach Tomjanovich resigned after being diagnosed with
bladder cancer,
[94] and was replaced by
Jeff Van Gundy.
[95] The Rockets finished the regular season with a record of 45–37,
[96] and earned their
first playoff berth since 1999,
but the Lakers again handed the Rockets a loss in the first round.
In the offseason, Houston saw major changes in the roster as the Rockets acquired
Tracy McGrady in a seven-player deal with the
Orlando Magic.
[97] The
2004–05 season saw McGrady and Yao lead the Rockets to their best record in ten years,
finishing at 51–31 and seeded 5th in the Western Conference Playoffs.
[98] However, their season ended in the
first round of the playoffs as they lost to their in-state rival, the
Dallas Mavericks, in seven games,
despite leading the series 2–0.
[99]
The
following season, after an injury-plagued year in which McGrady and Yao missed a total of 70 games, the team finished with only 34 wins, and missed the playoffs.
[100] The Rockets improved by 18 games the
next year, with 52 wins,
[101] but once again lost in the first round after leading 2–0, when they lost in seven games to Utah.
[102] After the loss, Van Gundy was fired,
[103] and the Rockets hired
Rick Adelman to replace him.
[104] In the
following year, despite Yao suffering a season-ending injury for the second time in three years,
[105] the Rockets won 22 consecutive games, which is the second longest winning streak in NBA history.
[106] Houston finished their season 55–27,
[107] but were eliminated for the second year in row by the Jazz in the first round of the playoffs, 4 games to 2. In 2008–2009 the Rockets ended the season 53–29, reaching the number 5 spot. With McGrady out with season-ending surgery the Rockets were still able to get out of the first round, beating the Portland Trail Blazers 4 games to 2. The series win was their first since 1997.
[108] However Yao Ming suffered yet another season-ending injury, this time a hairline fracture in his left foot during Game 3 of their second round series against the
Los Angeles Lakers. The Rockets lost the series 4 - 3. In The Trail-Blazers Series
Dikembe Mutombo injured his knee, which forced him to retire.
On July 8, 2009, the Rockets signed forward
Trevor Ariza to a 5 year, 32 million dollar contract using the Disabled Player Exception allowed by the league through the injury of Yao Ming. Ariza used to play for the
Los Angeles Lakers.
Home arenas
thumb at the start of the 2003–2004 season.
During the four years the Rockets were in San Diego, they played their games in the
San Diego Sports Arena,
which had a
seating capacity of 14,400.
[109] In their first season after moving to Houston, the Rockets did not have their own arena in Houston, and they played their first two years at various venues in Houston, including the
Astrodome,
AstroHall, and
Hofheinz Pavilion. They also had to play "home" games in other cities such as
San Antonio,
Waco,
Albuquerque, and even
San Diego. 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.
Their first permanent arena in Houston was the 10,000 seat Hofheinz Pavilion, which they moved into during their second season. They played in the arena for four years, before occupying
The Summit in 1975. The arena, which could hold 16,000 spectators, was later renamed the Compaq Center,
[110] was their home for the next 28 years.
In 2003, the Rockets moved into their new arena, the Toyota Center, with a
seating capacity of 18,500.
In the past fifteen years, the Rockets' attendance was at the lowest in 2002, when their attendance per game was only 11,737, second worst in the league.
[111] However, the Rockets averaged 17,379 spectators in the past year, their best average attendance ever.
[112]
Logos
Image:rockets88-95.gif
Honors and statistics
Individual honors
NBA MVP of the Year
- Moses Malone – 1979, 1982 [113]
- Hakeem Olajuwon – 1994 [114]
NBA Finals MVP
- Hakeem Olajuwon – 1994, 1995
NBA Defensive Player of the Year
- Hakeem Olajuwon – 1993, 1994
NBA Rookie of the Year
- Ralph Sampson – 1984
- Steve Francis – 2000 [115]
NBA Coach of the Year
- Tom Nissalke – 1977 [116]
- Don Chaney – 1991 [117]
NBA Executive of the Year
- Ray Patterson – 1977 [118]
J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award
- Calvin Murphy – 1971
- Dikembe Mutombo – 2009 [119]
All-NBA First Team
- Moses Malone – 1979, 1982
- Hakeem Olajuwon – 1987, 1988, 1989, 1993, 1994, 1997
All-NBA Second Team
- Moses Malone – 1980, 1981
- Ralph Sampson – 1984
- Hakeem Olajuwon – 1986, 1990, 1996
- Yao Ming – 2007, 2009 [120]
- Tracy McGrady – 2007 [121]
All-NBA Third Team
- Hakeem Olajuwon – 1991, 1995, 1999
- Clyde Drexler – 1995 [122]
- Yao Ming – 2004, 2006, 2008
- Tracy McGrady – 2005, 2008
NBA All-Defensive First Team
- Hakeem Olajuwon – 1987, 1988, 1990, 1993, 1994
- Rodney McCray – 1988 [123]
NBA All-Defensive Second Team
- Moses Malone – 1979
- Hakeem Olajuwon – 1985, 1991, 1996, 1997
- Rodney McCray – 1987
- Shane Battier – 2008, 2009 [124]
- Ron Artest – 2009 [125]
NBA Rookie First Team
- Elvin Hayes – 1969 [126]
- Calvin Murphy – 1971 [127]
- Joe Meriweather – 1976 [128]
- John Lucas – 1977 [129]
- Ralph Sampson – 1984
- Hakeem Olajuwon – 1985
- Steve Francis – 2000
- Yao Ming – 2003
- Luis Scola – 2008 [130]
NBA Rookie Second Team
- Robert Horry – 1993 [131]
- Matt Maloney – 1997 [132]
- Cuttino Mobley – 1999 [133]
- Michael Dickerson – 1999 [134]
- Eddie Griffin – 2002 [135]
- Luther Head – 2006 [136]
- Carl Landry – 2008 [137]
Statistics and records
Season-by-season records
Players
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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International rights
Notable former players
Hall of Famers
- Rick Barry (1987) [138]
- Elvin Hayes (1990) [139]
- Calvin Murphy (1993) [140]
- Moses Malone (2001) [141]
- Clyde Drexler (2004) [142]
- Charles Barkley (2006) [143]
- Hakeem Olajuwon (2008) [144]
(Dikembe Mutombo) (2009)
Keith Zawatski-(1971)
Retired numbers
- 22 Clyde Drexler, G, 1995–98 [145]
- 23 Calvin Murphy, G, 1970–83 [146]
- 24 Moses Malone, C, 1976–82 [147]
- 34 Hakeem Olajuwon, C, 1984–2001 [148]
- 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) [149]
Management
General Managers
- Mar 1967–June 1968: Jack McMahon [150]
- June 1968–May 1972: Pete Newell
- May 1972–September 1989: Ray Patterson [151]
- September 1989–August 1993: Steve Patterson [152]
- August 1993–3January 1994: Tod Leiweke [153]
- January 1994–May 1996: Bob Weinhauer [154]
- May 1996–May 2007: Carroll Dawson [155]
- May 2007–present: Daryl Morey [156]
Owners
- January 1967–June 1971: Robert Breitbard [157]
- June 1971–December 1973: Billy Goldberg, Wayne Duddlesten, Mickey Herskowitz
- December 1973–February 1975: Irvin Kaplan
- February 1975–February 1976: James Talcott Incorporated
- February 1976–May 1979: Kenneth Schnitzer
- May 1979–June 1982: George Maloof
- June 1982–July 1993: Charlie Thomas
- July 1993–present: Leslie Alexander
Coaches
#
| Name
| Term[b
| Regular Season
| Playoffs
| Achievements
|
GC
| W
| L
| Win%
| GC
| W
| L
| Win%
|
San Diego Rockets
|
1
| Jack McMahon [158]
| 1968–1970
| 190
| 61
| 129
| .321
| 6
| 2
| 4
| .333
|
|
2
| Alex Hannum
| 1970–1971
| 138
| 58
| 80
| .420
| —
| —
| —
| —
|
|
Houston Rockets
|
3
| Tex Winter
| 1971–1973
| 129
| 51
| 78
| .395
| —
| —
| —
| —
|
|
4
| Johnny Egan [159]
| 1973–1976
| 281
| 129
| 152
| .459
| 8
| 3
| 5
| .375
|
|
5
| Tom Nissalke
| 1976–1979
| 246
| 124
| 122
| .504
| 14
| 6
| 8
| .429
| 1976–77 NBA Coach of the Year [160]
|
6
| Del Harris [161]
| 1979–1983
| 328
| 141
| 187
| .430
| 31
| 15
| 16
| .484
|
|
7
| Bill Fitch [162]
| 1983–1988
| 410
| 216
| 194
| .527
| 39
| 21
| 18
| .538
| One of the top 10 coaches in NBA history [163]
|
8
| Don Chaney
| 1988–1992
| 298
| 164
| 134
| .550
| 11
| 2
| 9
| .182
| 1990–91 NBA Coach of the Year
|
9
| Rudy Tomjanovich [164]
| 1992–2003
| 900
| 503
| 397
| .559
| 90
| 51
| 39
| .567
| 2 NBA championships (1994, 1995)
|
10
| Jeff Van Gundy [165]
| 2003–2007
| 328
| 182
| 146
| .555
| 19
| 7
| 12
| .368
|
|
11
| Rick Adelman [166]
| 2007–present
| 164
| 108
| 56
| .659
| 19
| 9
| 10
| .474
|
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References
- Owners, fans waited years before Rockets took off
- Title Unavailable
- Going Retro: Houston Rockets are better than the lakers
- Jack McMahon
- Houston Rockets Draft Register
- NBA Hall of Fame 2008
- 1967-68 San Diego Rockets
- A Roundup Of The Sports Information Of The Week
- Who's Better, Who's Best in Basketball?
- 1968 NBA Draft
- 1968-69 San Diego Rockets
- Rudy Tomjanovich
- Calvin Murphy
- 1969-70 San Diego Rockets
- 1970-71 San Diego Rockets
- Booming Economy
- Johnson Space Center
- Alex Hannum Coaching Record
- Tex Winter Coaching Record
- True tales from the camp fires
- Houston Rockets
- Elvin Hayes Bio
- Houston Rockets Coach Register
- 1974-75 Houston Rockets
- Moses Malone Bio
- Force Stories: Moses Malone
- 1976-77 Houston Rockets
- Shattered And Shaken
- New start from old wounds
- 1977-78 Houston Rockets
- Rick Barry Bio
- 1978-79 Houston Rockets
- 1979-80 Houston Rockets
- Mavs History
- 1980-81 Houston Rockets
- NBA.com Calvin Murphy Bio
- 1980-81 NBA Season Summary
- Is Warriors over Mavs greatest upset ever?
- Celtics Return to Glory
- 1981-82 Houston Rockets Roster and Statistics
- 1982-83 NBA Season Summary
- It's Just A Matter Of Time
- 1983 NBA Draft
- Ralph Sampson Statistics
- 1984 NBA Draft
- NBA.com: Hakeem Olajuwon Player Info
- 1984-85 Houston Rockets Roster and Statistics
- 1985 All-Star Game Boxscore
- Rockets History - 1983-85: How Do You Stop Two 7-Footers?
- Greatest moment in basketball career, says Ralph
- 1985-86 Houston Rockets Roster and Statistics
- 1986-87 Houston Rockets Roster and Statistics
- 1988 NBA Playoff Summary
- 1989 NBA Playoff Summary
- 1990 NBA Playoff Summary
- Don Chaney Coach Info
- 1990-91 Houston Rockets Roster and Statistics
- 1991-92 Houston Rockets Roster and Statistics
- 1992-93 Houston Rockets Roster and Statistics
- Rockets sale
- Rockets fans disappointed with loss but liked the ride
- Olajuwon caps year of honors
- 1993-94 Houston Rockets Roster and Statistics
- Rockets History - 1993-94: Rockets Shoot To NBA Title
- Rockets History - 1994-95: "Clutch City" - Rockets Repeat
- 1994-95 Houston Rockets Roster and Statistics
- Reunion with fraternity mate a thrill for Olajuwon
- Home to Houston
- Rockets rally from 2-0, 3-1 to beat Phoenix
- 1994-95 Orlando Magic Roster and Statistics
- Rockets overcome countless obstacles en route to repeat
- Rockets' remarkable run is a story worth repeating
- 1995-96 Houston Rockets Roster and Statistics
- Rockets History - 1995-96: Bid For Three Swept Away
- Rockets finally get Barkley
- 1996-97 Houston Rockets Roster and Statistics
- Rockets History - 1997-98: High on Heart
- 1997-98 Houston Rockets Roster and Statistics
- Drexler plans to glide to UH as head coach
- Rockets work deal for Pippen
- 1998-99 Houston Rockets Roster and Statistics
- Rockets complete Francis deal
- Rockets unload Pippen to Blazers
- Torn tendon ends Sir Charles' career
- 1999-00 Houston Rockets Roster and Statistics
- 2000-01 Houston Rockets Roster and Statistics
- Rockets collect themselves after hard blow
- 2001-02 Houston Rockets Roster and Statistics
- Yao the Man
- 2002-03 Houston Rockets Roster and Statistics
- 2002-03 NBA Season Summary
- New arena buoys spirits
- Red's in fashion again
- End of an era
- Van Gundy says yes to coaching Rockets
- 2003-04 Houston Rockets Roster and Statistics
- T-Mac comes to H-Town
- 2004-05 Houston Rockets Roster and Statistics
- Mavericks off and running from start to finish
- 2005-06 Houston Rockets Roster and Statistics
- 2006-07 Houston Rockets Roster and Statistics
- Rockets, T-Mac remain at a loss
- Van Gundy dismissed as Rockets coach
- Adelman reaches deal to coach Rockets
- Yao done for season with stress fracture in left foot
- Celtics end Rockets' 22-game winning streak
- 2007-08 Houston Rockets Roster and Statistics
- Salt Lake heartache
- Arm of entertainment giant taking over at Sports Arena
- Lakewood Church Set to Open Doors
- NBA Attendance Report - 2002
- NBA Attendance Report - 2008
- Moses Malone Statistics
- Hakeem Olajuwon Statistics
- Steve Francis Statistics
- Tom Nissalke Coaching Record
- Don Chaney Coaching Record
- NBA Awards - Executive of the Year
- Mutombo wins J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award
- Yao Ming Statistics
- Tracy McGrady Statistics
- Clyde Drexler Statistics
- Rodney McCray Statistics
- Shane Battier Statistics
- Ron Artest Statistics
- Elvin Hayes Statistics
- Calvin Murphy Statistics
- Joe Meriweather Statistics
- John Lucas Statistics
- Luis Scola Statistics
- Robert Horry Statistics
- Matt Maloney Statistics
- Cuttino Mobley Statistics
- Michael Dickerson Statistics
- Eddie Griffin Statistics
- Luther Head Statistics
- Carl Landry Statistics
- Hall of Famers - Richard F. "Rick" Barry
- Hall of Famers - Elvin E. Hayes
- Hall of Famers - Calvin Murphy
- Hall of Famers - Moses E. Malone
- Hall of Famers - Clyde Drexler
- Hall of Famers - Charles Barkley
- Hall of Famers - Hakeem Olajuwon
- Retirement of Drexler's number pleases Olajuwon
- Rockets may play Murphy
- Rockets study future with history
- Nov. 9 looks like a night for a Dream
- Tribute to Dawson
- Houston Rockets Media Guide 2008–09
- Patterson's reign
- Rockets' Patterson era ends
- Rockets shaken at foundation
- Rockets' VP Weinhauer resigns post
- Dawson set for promotion
- Morey officially takes charge
- Houston Rockets Media Guide 2008–09
- Jack McMahon Coaching Record
- Johnny Egan Coaching Record
- Coach of the Year
- Del Harris Coaching Record
- Bill Fitch Coaching Record
- Top 10 Coaches in NBA History
- Rudy Tomjanovich Coaching Record
- Jeff Van Gundy Coaching Record
- Rick Adelman Coaching Record