The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference. The team plays its home games at the Toyota Center, located in Downtown Houston. Throughout its history, Houston has won two NBA championships and four Western Conference titles. It was established in 1967 as the San Diego Rockets, an expansion team originally based in San Diego. In 1971, the Rockets relocated to Houston.
Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon, nicknamed "the Dream", is a Nigerian-American former professional basketball player. From 1984 to 2002, he played center in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Houston Rockets and, in his last season, the Toronto Raptors. He led the Rockets to back-to-back NBA championships in 1994 and 1995. Olajuwon was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008 and the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2016. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest centers, as well as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
Karl Anthony Malone is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Mailman", he is considered one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history. Malone spent his first 18 seasons (1985–2003) in the NBA with the Utah Jazz and formed a formidable duo with his teammate John Stockton. He was a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, a 14-time NBA All-Star, and an 11-time member of the All-NBA first team. His 36,928 career points scored rank third all-time in NBA history behind LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and he holds the records for most free throws made and attempted, and most regular season games started, in addition to being tied for the second-most first-team All-NBA selections with Kobe Bryant and behind LeBron James.
Greg Marius Court at Holcombe Rucker Park is a basketball court at the border of Harlem and the Coogan's Bluff section of Washington Heights neighborhoods of Manhattan, at 155th Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard, just east of the former Polo Grounds site. It is geographically at the base of a large cliff named Coogan's Bluff. Many who have played at the park in the Entertainer's Basketball Classic achieved a level of fame for their abilities, and several have gone on to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
The Houston Cougars are the athletic teams representing the University of Houston. Informally, the Houston Cougars have also been referred to as the Coogs, UH, or simply Houston. Houston's nickname was suggested by early physical education instructor of the university and former head football coach, John R. Bender after one of his former teams, Washington State later adopted the mascot and nickname. The teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and the Football Bowl Subdivision as members of the Big 12 Conference.
The Jazz–Rockets rivalry is a National Basketball Association (NBA) rivalry between the Utah Jazz and the Houston Rockets. The rivalry began in the 1990s when the Rockets, led by dominant center Hakeem Olajuwon and college teammate Clyde Drexler, and the Jazz, led by the pick-and-roll duo of Karl Malone and John Stockton, were playoff powers in the Midwest Division. The teams faced each other four times in the NBA playoffs during the decade. In all four instances, the winner was the eventual Western Conference champion and played in the NBA Finals. In 2007, the rivalry was restored as the two teams met again in the playoffs and a showdown of two of the best 1–2 combos of Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming of the Rockets and Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer of the Jazz. In 2018, the rivalry was once again restored as the two teams met in the Western Conference Semifinals, where the Rockets won the series 4–1. In 2019, the two teams met once again in the playoffs, but in the First Round, with the Rockets once again winning the series 4–1.
The 1993–94 NBA season was the Houston Rockets' 27th season in the National Basketball Association, and their 23rd season in Houston. The Rockets had the 24th overall pick in the 1993 NBA draft, and selected Sam Cassell out of Florida State University. During the off-season, the team acquired Mario Elie from the Portland Trail Blazers. The Rockets went off to a great start, winning their first fifteen games of the season to tie the 1948–49 Washington Capitols for the best unbeaten record to open a season, while also posting a 14–0 record in November, before the Golden State Warriors surpassed it in 2015. After losing to the Atlanta Hawks, 133–111 on the road on December 3, the Rockets won their next seven games as well, falling just one victory shy of tying the 1969–70 Knicks (23–1) for the best record with one defeat in NBA history. However, the Rockets would cool off as the season progressed, at one point losing four games in a row in January. Still, they held a 34–12 record at the All-Star break, and finished first place in the Midwest Division with a 58–24 record, a franchise record that stood until the 2017-18 team recorded their 59th win.
The 1994–95 NBA season was the Rockets' 28th season in the National Basketball Association, and 24th season in Houston. After winning their first championship, the Rockets went on to win their first nine games of the season. However, with increased competition in the West, management felt a change was needed to win another title. On February 14, 1995, the Rockets traded Otis Thorpe to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for All-Star guard Clyde Drexler, and three-point specialist Tracy Murray; Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon were both teammates at the University of Houston in the early 1980s. The team also signed free agent Chucky Brown midway through the season, and later on signed 38-year old veteran Charles Jones to a 10-day contract in April, where he played in the final three games of the regular season. However, after holding a 29–17 record at the All-Star break, the Rockets played .500 basketball in the second half of the season, posting an 18–18 record on their way to finishing third in the Midwest Division with a 47–35 record.
The 1994–95 NBA season was the Spurs' 19th season in the National Basketball Association, and 28th season as a franchise. During the off-season, the Spurs hired Bob Hill as head coach, re-acquired Sean Elliott after playing one year with the Detroit Pistons, re-signed Avery Johnson after one season with the Golden State Warriors, and signed free agents Chuck Person, and former All-Star forward Moses Malone. Early into the season, they signed free agent Doc Rivers, who was previously released by the New York Knicks. With Dennis Rodman serving two suspensions early into the season, the Spurs struggled and played below .500 with a 7–9 start. However, they would win 13 of their next 14 games, hold a 30–15 record at the All-Star break, then later on post a 15-game winning streak between March and April, and win 21 of their final 23 games, finishing with the league's best record of 62–20. It was also their best regular season record in franchise history, surpassing the 56-win 1989–90 season, which would be surpassed 11 seasons later by the 2005-06 team (63-19), then 10 seasons later by the 2015-16 squad (67-15).
The 1994–95 NBA season was the Magic's 6th season in the National Basketball Association. After building through the draft in previous years, the Magic made themselves even stronger by signing free agents Horace Grant, who won three championships with the Chicago Bulls, and Brian Shaw during the off-season. The Magic got off to a fast start winning 22 of their first 27 games, then later holding a 37–10 record at the All-Star break. Despite losing seven of their final eleven games in April, the Magic easily won the Atlantic Division with a 57–25 record. They also finished with a 39–2 home record, tied for second best in NBA history.
The 1993–94 NBA season was the Jazz's 20th season in the National Basketball Association, and 15th season in Salt Lake City, Utah. During the off-season, the Jazz signed free agent All-Star forward Tom Chambers, and acquired Felton Spencer from the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Jazz played competitive basketball with a 22–8 start, but then lost five of their next six games, and held a 31–18 record at the All-Star break. At midseason, the team traded Jeff Malone to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Jeff Hornacek. With the addition of Hornacek, the Jazz posted a ten-game winning streak between February and March, and won nine of their final eleven games finishing third in the Midwest Division with a 53–29 record. They made their eleventh consecutive trip to the playoffs.
The 1996–97 NBA season was the Rockets' 30th season in the National Basketball Association, and 26th season in Houston. During the off-season, the Rockets acquired All-Star forward Charles Barkley from the Phoenix Suns, and signed free agents Kevin Willis, Brent Price, undrafted rookie guard Matt Maloney, and re-signed former Rockets forward and three-point specialist Matt Bullard, who was a member of the championship team from the 1994 NBA Finals. The Rockets began the season with a 21–2 start, but later on struggled posting a six-game losing streak between January and February, and held a 32–16 record at the All-Star break. At midseason, the team signed free agents Eddie Johnson and Sedale Threatt, as the Rockets won 14 of their final 17 games, finishing second in the Midwest Division with a 57–25 record.
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 the National Basketball Association (NBA). The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before moving to Houston, Texas.
The 1990–91 NBA season was the Rockets' 24th season in the National Basketball Association, and 20th season in the city of Houston. In the off-season, the Rockets acquired Kenny Smith from the Atlanta Hawks. The Rockets continued to play .500 basketball during the first half of the season, as Hakeem Olajuwon missed 25 games due to a bone fracture in his right eye. However, the Rockets showed improvement by holding a 27–21 record at the All-Star break, posting a 14–1 record in March, which included a 13-game winning streak. They finished third in the Midwest Division with a 52–30 record.
The 1994–95 NBA season was the Jazz's 21st season in the National Basketball Association, and 16th season in Salt Lake City, Utah. During the off-season, the Jazz signed free agent Antoine Carr, and acquired Adam Keefe from the Atlanta Hawks. The Jazz struggled losing four of their first six games, but then won seven of their next eight games, then won eight straight games in December. The team posted a 14–1 record in January, which included a 14-game winning streak which ended in early February, as the Jazz held a 35–13 record at the All-Star break. At midseason, the team traded Jay Humphries to the Boston Celtics in exchange for former Jazz guard Blue Edwards. The Jazz posted a nine-game winning streak between February and March, then won their final seven games of the season, finishing second in the Midwest Division with a 60–22 record. They made their 12th consecutive trip to the playoffs.
The 1997–98 NBA season was the Rockets' 31st season in the National Basketball Association, and 27th season in Houston. After a slow 3–5 start to the season, the Rockets went on a nine-game winning streak winning 12 of their first 17 games. The team traveled to Mexico City, Mexico, where they defeated the Dallas Mavericks, 108–106 on December 6, 1997, which was the first NBA regular season game played in Mexico. However, as the season progressed, Hakeem Olajuwon went down with a knee injury and only played just 47 games, as the Rockets began to slip under .500, showing their age and the wear and tear of long playoff runs as they played mediocre basketball all season, holding a 22–24 record at the All-Star break. Olajuwon would eventually return as the Rockets finished fourth in the Midwest Division with a 41–41 record, and qualified the playoffs as the #8 seed in the Western Conference.
The 1999–2000 NBA season was the Rockets' 33rd season in the National Basketball Association, and 29th season in the city of Houston. This season is notable for the Rockets acquiring top draft pick Steve Francis from the University of Maryland in a trade from the Vancouver Grizzlies; the Grizzlies had drafted Francis with the second overall pick in the 1999 NBA draft, but he refused to play for them. In the draft, the Rockets selected Kenny Thomas from the University of New Mexico with the 22nd overall pick. During the off-season, the team acquired Walt Williams, Kelvin Cato and Carlos Rogers from the Portland Trail Blazers, and signed free agent Shandon Anderson.
The 2000–01 NBA season was the Rockets' 34th season in the National Basketball Association, and 30th season in the city of Houston. The Rockets had the ninth pick in the 2000 NBA draft, and selected Joel Przybilla from the University of Minnesota, but soon traded him to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for rookie center Jason Collier. In an effort to shore up their front line, the Rockets signed free agent Maurice Taylor during the off-season. After the retirement of Charles Barkley, the Rockets got off to a 13–9 start to the season, but then went on a six-game losing streak afterwards. The team held a 25–25 record at the All-Star break, and then played above .500 for the remainder of the season. However, the Rockets missed the playoffs despite finishing fifth in the Midwest Division with a winning record of 45–37, which was two games behind the 8th-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves.
The 1989–90 NBA season was the Rockets' 23rd season in the National Basketball Association, and 19th season in the city of Houston. After a 9–6 start to the season, the Rockets would struggle posting a 12–18 record as they entered the New Year. However, they would manage to win seven of their next nine games, holding a 22–25 record at the All-Star break. At midseason, the team acquired second-year guard Vernon Maxwell from the San Antonio Spurs, as they continued to play .500 basketball for the rest of the season. The Rockets finished fifth in the Midwest Division with a 41–41 record, winning a tie-breaker over the Seattle SuperSonics for the #8 seed in the Western Conference.
The 1988–89 NBA season was the Rockets' 22nd season in the NBA and 18th season in the city of Houston. Houston hosted the All-Star Game this season. During the off-season, the Rockets acquired Otis Thorpe from the Sacramento Kings, signed free agent Mike Woodson, and hired Don Chaney as their new head coach. The Rockets posted a six-game winning streak in December, and held a 28–18 record at the All-Star break. Despite a 7-game losing streak between February and March, the team finished second in the Midwest Division with a 45–37 record.
