The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The Rockets play 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. [1]
In the Rockets' debut season, their win–loss record was 15–67. After drafting Elvin Hayes first overall in the 1968 NBA draft, they made their first appearance in the playoffs in 1969. After Hayes was traded, Moses Malone replaced him. Malone won two Most Valuable Player awards during his time in Houston, and led the Rockets to the 1977 Eastern Conference finals in his first year with the Rockets. He also led the Rockets to the NBA Finals in 1981, but they were defeated in six games by the Boston Celtics. Two years after advancing to the finals, the Rockets won a franchise-low 14 games. [2]
In 1984, the Rockets drafted future Hall-of-Famer Hakeem Olajuwon, who led them to the 1986 Finals in his second year, in which they lost again to Boston. In the next seven seasons, they lost in the first round of the playoffs four times. They did not win their first championship until 1994, when Olajuwon led them to a franchise-best 58 wins, and the championship. The Rockets repeated the feat in 1995, but have not advanced to the finals since. They missed the playoffs from 1999 to 2003, and did not reach the playoffs until after they drafted Yao Ming in 2003. They did not advance past the first round of the playoffs for 13 years, until the 2008–09 NBA season. After the arrival of James Harden in 2012 and Dwight Howard the following year, the Rockets had their best seasons since the Olajuwon days, culminating in the Southwest Division title and a return to the Western Conference finals in 2015. The 2017–18 Rockets made franchise history by becoming the first Houston team ever to win 60 or more games in a regular season, finishing at 65–17.
The Rockets have played 54 seasons, and advanced to the playoffs in 34 of those seasons. They also have regular season records of .500 or better in 38 of their 54 seasons, placing them well into the upper third of NBA franchises in overall win–loss records. They have won eight division titles, and have been conference champions four times. Their overall record is 2,444 wins and 2,328 losses. [3]
ASG MVP | All-Star Game Most Valuable Player |
COY | Coach of the Year |
DPOY | Defensive Player of the Year |
EOY | Executive of the Year |
Finish | Final position in league or division standings |
FMVP | Finals Most Valuable Player |
GB | Games behind first-place team in division [a] |
L | Number of regular-season losses |
JWKC | J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship |
MVP | Most Valuable Player |
ROY | Rookie of the Year |
W | Number of regular-season wins |
Note: Statistics are correct as of the 2023–24 season.
NBA champions | Conference champions | Division champions | Playoff berth |
Season | League | Conference | Finish | Division | Finish | Wins | Losses | Win% | GB | Playoffs | Awards | Head Coach | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
San Diego Rockets | |||||||||||||||
1967–68 | NBA | — | — | Western | 6th | 15 | 67 | .183 | 41 | — | Jack McMahon | ||||
1968–69 | NBA | — | — | Western | 4th | 37 | 45 | .451 | 18 | Lost Division semifinals (Hawks) 4–2 [4] | — | ||||
1969–70 | NBA | — | — | Western | 7th | 27 | 55 | .329 | 21 | — | Jack McMahon Alex Hannum | ||||
1970–71 | NBA | Western | 7th | Pacific [b] | 3rd | 40 | 42 | .488 | 8 | — | Alex Hannum | ||||
Houston Rockets | |||||||||||||||
1971–72 | NBA | Western | 7th | Pacific | 4th | 34 | 48 | .415 | 35 | — | Tex Winter | ||||
1972–73 | NBA | Eastern | 5th | Central | 3rd | 33 | 49 | .402 | 19 | — | Tex Winter Johnny Egan | ||||
1973–74 | NBA | Eastern | 6th | Central | 3rd | 32 | 50 | .390 | 15 | — | Johnny Egan | ||||
1974–75 | NBA | Eastern | 4th | Central | 2nd | 41 | 41 | .500 | 19 | Won First round (Knicks) 2–1 Lost conference semifinals (Celtics) 4–1 [7] | — | ||||
1975–76 | NBA | Eastern | 6th | Central | 3rd | 40 | 42 | .488 | 9 | — | |||||
1976–77 | NBA | Eastern | 2nd | Central | 1st | 49 | 33 | .598 | — | Won conference semifinals (Bullets) 4–2 Lost conference finals (76ers) 4–2 [8] | Tom Nissalke (COY) Ray Patterson (EOY) | Tom Nissalke | |||
1977–78 | NBA | Eastern | 9th | Central | 6th | 28 | 54 | .341 | 24 | — | |||||
1978–79 | NBA | Eastern | 4th | Central | 2nd | 47 | 35 | .573 | 1 | Lost First round (Hawks) 2–0 [9] | Moses Malone (MVP) Calvin Murphy (JWKC) | ||||
1979–80 | NBA | Eastern | 4th | Central | 2nd | 41 | 41 | .500 | 9 | Won First round (Spurs) 2–1 Lost conference semifinals (Celtics) 4–0 [10] | — | Del Harris | |||
1980–81 | NBA | Western | 6th | Midwest | 3rd [c] | 40 | 42 | .488 | 12 | Won First round (Lakers) 2–1 Won conference semifinals (Spurs) 4–3 Won conference finals (Kings) 4–1 Lost NBA Finals (Celtics) 4–2 [12] | — | ||||
1981–82 | NBA | Western | 6th | Midwest | 3rd [d] | 46 | 36 | .561 | 2 | Lost First round (SuperSonics) 2–1 [14] | Moses Malone (MVP) | ||||
1982–83 | NBA | Western | 12th | Midwest | 6th | 14 | 68 | .171 | 39 | — | |||||
1983–84 | NBA | Western | 12th | Midwest | 6th | 29 | 53 | .354 | 16 | Ralph Sampson (ROY) | Bill Fitch | ||||
1984–85 | NBA | Western | 3rd | Midwest | 2nd | 48 | 34 | .585 | 4 | Lost First round (Jazz) 3–2 [15] | Ralph Sampson (ASG MVP) | ||||
1985–86 | NBA | Western | 2nd | Midwest | 1st | 51 | 31 | .622 | — | Won First round (Kings) 3–0 Won conference semifinals (Nuggets) 4–2 Won conference finals (Lakers) 4–1 Lost NBA Finals (Celtics) 4–2 [16] | — | ||||
1986–87 | NBA | Western | 6th | Midwest | 3rd | 42 | 40 | .512 | 13 | Won First round (Trail Blazers) 3–1 Lost conference semifinals (SuperSonics) 4–2 [17] | — | ||||
1987–88 | NBA | Western | 6th | Midwest | 4th | 46 | 36 | .561 | 8 | Lost First round (Mavericks) 3–1 [18] | — | ||||
1988–89 | NBA | Western | 5th | Midwest | 2nd | 45 | 37 | .549 | 6 | Lost First round (SuperSonics) 3–1 [19] | — | Don Chaney | |||
1989–90 | NBA | Western | 8th | Midwest | 5th | 41 | 41 | .500 | 15 | Lost First round (Lakers) 3–1 [20] | — | ||||
1990–91 | NBA | Western | 6th | Midwest | 3rd | 52 | 30 | .634 | 3 | Lost First round (Lakers) 3–0 [21] | Don Chaney (COY) | ||||
1991–92 | NBA | Western | 9th | Midwest | 3rd | 42 | 40 | .512 | 13 | — | Don Chaney Rudy Tomjanovich | ||||
1992–93 | NBA | Western | 2nd | Midwest | 1st | 55 | 27 | .671 | — | Won First round (Clippers) 3–2 Lost conference semifinals (SuperSonics) 4–3 [22] | Hakeem Olajuwon (DPOY) | Rudy Tomjanovich | |||
1993–94 | NBA | Western | 2nd | Midwest | 1st | 58 | 24 | .707 | — | Won First round (Trail Blazers) 3–1 Won conference semifinals (Suns) 4–3 Won conference finals (Jazz) 4–1 Won NBA Finals (Knicks) 4–3 [23] | Hakeem Olajuwon (MVP, FMVP, DPOY) | ||||
1994–95 | NBA | Western | 6th | Midwest | 3rd | 47 | 35 | .573 | 15 | Won First round (Jazz) 3–2 Won conference semifinals (Suns) 4–3 Won conference finals (Spurs) 4–2 Won NBA Finals (Magic) 4–0 [24] | Hakeem Olajuwon (FMVP) | ||||
1995–96 | NBA | Western | 5th | Midwest | 3rd | 48 | 34 | .585 | 11 | Won First round (Lakers) 3–1 Lost conference semifinals (SuperSonics) 4–0 [25] | — | ||||
1996–97 | NBA | Western | 3rd | Midwest | 2nd | 57 | 25 | .695 | 7 | Won First round (Timberwolves) 3–0 Won conference semifinals (SuperSonics) 4–3 Lost conference finals (Jazz) 4–2 [26] | — | ||||
1997–98 | NBA | Western | 8th | Midwest | 4th | 41 | 41 | .500 | 21 | Lost First round (Jazz) 3–2 [27] | — | ||||
1998–99 [e] | NBA | Western | 5th | Midwest | 3rd | 31 | 19 | .620 | 6 | Lost First round (Lakers) 3–1 [29] | — | ||||
1999–00 | NBA | Western | 11th | Midwest | 6th | 34 | 48 | .415 | 21 | Steve Francis [f] (ROY) | |||||
2000–01 | NBA | Western | 9th | Midwest | 5th | 45 | 37 | .549 | 13 | — | |||||
2001–02 | NBA | Western | 11th | Midwest | 5th | 28 | 54 | .341 | 30 | — | |||||
2002–03 | NBA | Western | 9th | Midwest | 5th | 43 | 39 | .524 | 17 | — | |||||
2003–04 | NBA | Western | 7th | Midwest | 5th | 45 | 37 | .549 | 13 | Lost First round (Lakers) 4–1 [31] | — | Jeff Van Gundy | |||
2004–05 | NBA | Western | 5th | Southwest | 3rd | 51 | 31 | .622 | 8 | Lost First round (Mavericks) 4–3 [32] | — | ||||
2005–06 | NBA | Western | 12th | Southwest | 5th | 34 | 48 | .415 | 29 | — | |||||
2006–07 | NBA | Western | 5th | Southwest | 3rd | 52 | 30 | .634 | 15 | Lost First round (Jazz) 4–3 [33] | — | ||||
2007–08 | NBA | Western | 5th | Southwest | 3rd | 55 | 27 | .671 | 1 | Lost First round (Jazz) 4–2 [34] | — | Rick Adelman | |||
2008–09 | NBA | Western | 5th | Southwest | 2nd | 53 | 29 | .646 | 1 | Won First round (Trail Blazers) 4–2 Lost conference semifinals (Lakers) 4–3 [35] | Dikembe Mutombo (JWKC) | ||||
2009–10 | NBA | Western | 9th | Southwest | 3rd | 42 | 40 | .512 | 13 | Aaron Brooks (MIP) | |||||
2010–11 | NBA | Western | 9th | Southwest | 5th | 43 | 39 | .524 | 18 | — | |||||
2011–12 [g] | NBA | Western | 9th | Southwest | 4th | 34 | 32 | .515 | 16 | — | Kevin McHale | ||||
2012–13 | NBA | Western | 8th | Southwest | 3rd | 45 | 37 | .549 | 15 | Lost First round (Thunder) 4–2 [37] | — | ||||
2013–14 | NBA | Western | 4th | Southwest | 2nd | 54 | 28 | .659 | 8 | Lost First round (Trail Blazers) 4–2 [38] | — | ||||
2014–15 | NBA | Western | 2nd | Southwest | 1st | 56 | 26 | .683 | — | Won First round (Mavericks) 4–1 Won conference semifinals (Clippers) 4–3 Lost conference finals (Warriors) 4–1 [39] | — | ||||
2015–16 | NBA | Western | 8th | Southwest | 4th | 41 | 41 | .500 | 26 | Lost First round (Warriors) 4–1 [40] | — | Kevin McHale J. B. Bickerstaff | |||
2016–17 | NBA | Western | 3rd | Southwest | 2nd | 55 | 27 | .671 | 6 | Won First round (Thunder) 4–1 Lost conference semifinals (Spurs) 4–2 [41] | Eric Gordon (SIX) Mike D'Antoni (COY) | Mike D'Antoni | |||
2017–18 | NBA | Western | 1st | Southwest | 1st | 65 | 17 | .793 | — | Won First round (Timberwolves) 4–1 Won conference semifinals (Jazz) 4–1 Lost conference finals (Warriors) 4–3 [42] | James Harden (MVP) Daryl Morey (EOY) | ||||
2018–19 | NBA | Western | 4th | Southwest | 1st | 53 | 29 | .646 | — | Won First round (Jazz) 4–1 Lost conference semifinals (Warriors) 4–2 [43] | — | ||||
2019–20 [h] | NBA | Western | 4th | Southwest | 1st | 44 | 28 | .611 | — | Won First round (Thunder) 4–3 Lost conference semifinals (Lakers) 4–1 [45] | — | ||||
2020–21 | NBA | Western | 15th | Southwest | 5th | 17 | 55 | .236 | 25 | — | Stephen Silas | ||||
2021–22 | NBA | Western | 15th | Southwest | 5th | 20 | 62 | .244 | 44 | — | |||||
2022–23 | NBA | Western | 14th | Southwest | 4th | 22 | 60 | .268 | 30.5 | — | |||||
2023–24 | NBA | Western | 11th | Southwest | 3rd | 41 | 41 | .500 | 9 | — | Ime Udoka | ||||
Total (57 seasons) | 2,369 | 2,237 | .514 | 2 NBA Championships | 16 Head Coaches |
Statistic | Wins | Losses | Win% |
---|---|---|---|
San Diego Rockets regular season record (1968–1971) | 119 | 209 | .363 |
Houston Rockets regular season record (1971–present) | 2,250 | 2,028 | .526 |
All-time regular season record (1968–present) | 2,369 | 2,237 | .514 |
San Diego Rockets post-season record (1969) | 2 | 4 | .333 |
Houston Rockets post-season record (1975–present) | 156 | 160 | .494 |
All-time post-season record (1969–present) | 158 | 164 | .491 |
All-time regular and post-season record | 2,527 | 2,401 | .513 |
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 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.
Clyde Austin Drexler is an American former professional basketball player who currently works as the commissioner of the Big3 3-on-3 basketball league. Nicknamed "Clyde the Glide", he played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), spending a majority of his career with the Portland Trail Blazers before finishing with the Houston Rockets. He was a ten-time NBA All-Star and named to the NBA's 50th and 75th anniversary teams. Drexler won an NBA championship with Houston in 1995, and earned a gold medal on the 1992 United States Olympic team known as "The Dream Team". He was inducted twice into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, in 2004 for his individual career and in 2010 as a member of the "Dream Team". Drexler is widely considered one of the greatest basketball players and greatest shooting guards of all time.
Kenneth Smith, is an American sports commentator and former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Jet", he played in the NBA from 1987 to 1997 as a member of the Sacramento Kings, Atlanta Hawks, Houston Rockets, Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, and Denver Nuggets. Smith won back-to-back NBA championships with Houston.
Clutch City is a nickname given to the city of Houston, Texas after the city's National Basketball Association (NBA) club, the Houston Rockets.
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 and the Cleveland Cavaliers tied Houston's mark in 2024. 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.
The 2001–02 NBA season was the Raptors' seventh season in the National Basketball Association. During the off-season, the Raptors acquired All-Star center and 2-time NBA Champion Hakeem Olajuwon from the Houston Rockets. Throughout the season, All-Star guard and team captain Vince Carter struggled with a left knee injury, and managed to play just 60 games. Despite the injury, Carter averaged 24.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game, and was still voted to play in the 2002 NBA All-Star Game in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, his third consecutive All-Star selection, but did not play due to his knee injury.
The 1995–96 NBA season was the Rockets' 29th season in the National Basketball Association, and 25th season in Houston. In the off-season, the Rockets signed free agents Mark Bryant and Eldridge Recasner. After two straight NBA championships, the team changed their primary logo, which showed a light blue rocket flying past a red basketball with the team name "Rockets", and added new pinstripe uniforms adding dark navy blue to their color scheme.
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball franchise 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 relocating to Houston. They have made the playoffs in 25 of their 42 seasons, and won their division and conference four times each; they also won back-to-back NBA championships in 1994 and 1995. They won 22 straight games during the 2007–08 season, the third-longest streak in NBA history.
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 IBM Award was an award given out to National Basketball Association players from 1984 to 2002. The award was sponsored and calculated by technology company IBM and was determined by a computer formula, which measured a player's statistical contribution to his team. The player with the best contribution to his team in the league received the award. The first recipient was Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers, and the final recipient was Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs.
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.
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.