Houston Rockets 50th Anniversary Thread

[Mr. E]

1967

The Vietnam War was underway.

The Summer of Love occurred in San Francisco.

Muhammad Ali refused military service.

The Mariner 5 probe was launched towards Venus.

Thurgood Marshall becomes the first black Supreme Court Justice.

The Beatles release "Magical Mystery Tour" while Jimi Hendrix & the Doors each release their first studio albums.

Josef Stalin's daughter defected to the United States.

Israel was attacked by its neighbors in the Six-Day War.

John McCain is taken as a prisoner-of-war in Vietnam.

The San Diego Rockets, coached by Jack McMahon & featuring their first round draft pick, Pat Riley, make their professional basketball debut. They would move from San Diego in 1971 to Houston, Texas where they have remained ever since, winning two titles in 1993/1994 & 1994/1995 featuring the greatest player in franchise history, Hakeem Olajuwon.

Elvin Hayes, Clyde Drexler, Yao Ming, Rudy Tomjanovich, Steve Francis, Shane Battier, Dikembe Mutombo, Tracy McGrady, Calvin Murphy, Moses Malone, Ralph Sampson, Vernon Maxwell, Mario Elie, Robert Horry, Kenny Smith, Sam Cassell, Cutino Mobley, Luis Scola, Dwight Howard, Trevor Aria, Pat Beverley, James Harden & again, Hakeem Olajuwon. Here's to all of these players and everyone else who has suited up for the Rockets!

Here is to 50 more years of Rockets Basketball!

[RaoulDuke79]

Awesome post, but how dare you leave Cato's $42,000,000 contract and Moochie's hair off your list!



Oh, you forgot Pink Floyd released their first studio album that year as well, but I forgive you because you made sure to exclude Pippen, and for that you have my thanks.

50 more years and hopefully many more championships, indeed!

[Mr. E]

Awesome post, but how dare you leave Cato's $42,000,000 contract and Moochie's hair off your list!



Oh, you forgot Pink Floyd released their first studio album that year as well, but I forgive you because you made sure to exclude Pippen, and for that you have my thanks.

50 more years and hopefully many more championships, indeed!

I made an error with Pink Floyd, but I have no idea who that player is you mentioned.

[Mr. E]

1986 Western Conference Finals

Watch on YouTube

The Rockets would defeat one of the greatest Lakers teams of all-time to go on to the FInals to play one of the greatest Celtics teams of all time. They would fall to the Celtics; but everything seemed to be working and the foundation was set. Wiggins, Floyd, McCray & Sampson were playing at high-level; and already (then) Akeem Olajuwon was establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with. It looked like that was the beginning for the Houston Rockets!

Of course, we know that it did not turn out that way. Sampson would be injured and drug addictions would ravage the team. That was the pinnacle of the 80's Houston Rockets - the greatest "What if?" team in all of sports history, in my opinion.

That video is not the best quality, but you cannot find higher quality of play than what you see there. This was 80's basketball at its finest. This is the type of offense that the current Rockets hope to emulate this season.

Still, you can't help but wonder what could have been different if fate had been kind to the Houston Rockets in the mid-80's.

[Mr. E]

Do you guys remember when Tracy McGrady was one of the best players on the planet?

Watch on YouTube

That was an amazing single-game performance. Of course following the last post it is another case of "what if?" this time involving Yao & McGrady. They were amazing when they were both healthy & playing together. Unfortunately that didn't happen all too often in their careers.

But that one night against the hated Spurs, Tracy McGrady was not going to lose that game! 35 seconds on the clock? It's cool, he only needs 33.

[Mr. E]

Remember that time went up into the stands?

No, not that time - this time:

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

Ron Ron didn't play for the Rockets very long, but he'll always be a favorite of mine. Yao seems to appreciate the humor, as usual!

[RaoulDuke79]

This thread just wouldn't be right without posting this:

Watch on YouTube

And this:

Watch on YouTube

And of course, this:

Watch on YouTube

[RaoulDuke79]

What about some of the more forgotten members of Rockets history?

Who else remembers Michael Dickerson? He and Cuttino came into the league together that crazy lockout season when we acquired the player who shall not be named(no, not Lin), a season that ended in disappointment obviously.

I remember being bummed when they traded him in the offseason to get Francis. At the time, I thought Dickerson was the better of the two players between he and Cuttino, and sadly his career got derailed by injury and ended prematurely, but I remember those two guys being a lot of fun to watch during their rookie season.

And thus began the end of the Hakeem era and the beginning of the Franchise & Cat era.

[Mr. E]

What about some of the more forgotten members of Rockets history?

Who else remembers Michael Dickerson? He and Cuttino came into the league together that crazy lockout season when we acquired the player who shall not be named(no, not Lin), a season that ended in disappointment obviously.

I remember being bummed when they traded him in the offseason to get Francis. At the time, I thought Dickerson was the better of the two players between he and Cuttino, and sadly his career got derailed by injury and ended prematurely, but I remember those two guys being a lot of fun to watch during their rookie season.

And thus began the end of the Hakeem era and the beginning of the Franchise & Cat era.

First off - thanks for the video adds! You know that I'd get around to those eventually, but it's great to see them now!

I remember Dickerson and I had the same concerns when that trade happened. I thought that the Rockets were overpaying when they made that big trade.

[Mr. E]

Highlights from the Rockets vs. Bucks - November 9th, 2007

Watch on YouTube

First ever regular season meeting between Yao Ming & Yi Jianlian. The estimates for viewership for this regular season game have been between 100 million & 200 million as the nation of China tuned in to watch this one.

[Mr. E]

February 3rd, 2009.

Houston vs. Chicago.

Yao vs. Andres Nocioni

Clyde vs. Political Correctness

Watch on YouTube

Who else remembers watching that game and hearing Clyde make that call? I love Bill's reaction so much!

[Mr. E]

Hakeem.

Shaq.

Soft vs. Hard? That's what Taco Bell went with!

Watch on YouTube

And yes, I did have a few of those back in the day!

[jwise44]

I'm loving this thread, but I'm more than a little upset the chuck wagon isn't on that list as well! That man will always be a rocket!


I had the same feelings about the Dickerson trade. I was pissed...I wanted to keep cat and Dickerson

[Mr. E]

I'm loving this thread, but I'm more than a little upset the chuck wagon isn't on that list as well! That man will always be a rocket!

You want Chuck Hayes?

You get Chuck Hayes!

Watch on YouTube

[Mr. E]

Or how about Chuck Hayes with a triple double?

March 23, 2011

Watch on YouTube

[Mr. E]

And I was thinking...maybe it's time to bring this back:

Watch on YouTube

[jwise44]

Those videos made me tear up...miss him sooooooo much

They should have shown more charges in the first video...only had 1, but I loved how it showed what people don't think of as highlights but the little things that made chucky so special on d