58 Fun Facts About Houston Rockets

What is the name of the Rockets' downtown Houston arena, opened in 2003?

Toyota Center's seating bowl was sunk almost 32 feet below street level, so fans walk in from the pavement and down to their seats instead of climbing stairs.

Hakeem Olajuwon's signature series of post fakes and spins was known by what name?

The Dream Shake grew out of footwork Olajuwon learned as a soccer goalkeeper and handball player before he took up basketball in his teens.

Which future Hall of Fame coach was the San Diego Rockets' first-ever draft pick in 1967?

Pat Riley, picked seventh overall, was also drafted that year by the NFL's Cowboys as a receiver, though he had never played college football; he chose the Rockets and stayed three seasons.

Which team's 9–73 season broke the Rockets' 1968 record of 67 losses?

The Philadelphia 76ers lost star forward Billy Cunningham to the rival ABA and sank to 9–73, six more defeats than the record the Rockets had set in their 15–67 debut.

Which University of Houston star did the Rockets take first overall in 1968 after winning a coin toss?

Elvin Hayes, 'The Big E', led the Rockets to their first playoff berth as a rookie and was traded to the Bullets in 1972 after clashing with coach Tex Winter.

Which 5-foot-9 Hall of Fame guard moved with the Rockets to Houston in 1971 and played there until 1983?

Calvin Murphy lasted until the second round of the 1970 draft because of his size, then played 13 seasons for the Rockets and reached the Hall of Fame in 1993.

Which Rockets guard made a then-record seven three-pointers in Game 1 of the 1995 NBA Finals?

Kenny Smith's seventh three-pointer tied Game 1 in the final seconds, and Houston won in overtime on the way to a sweep.

Which Lakers player's 1977 punch left a Rockets All-Star with facial fractures and five months of rehab?

Kermit Washington swung as the Rockets forward ran in to break up a fight in December 1977; the NBA fined him $10,000 and suspended him for 60 days.

Which centre carried the 40–42 Rockets to the 1981 NBA Finals?

Moses Malone's Rockets knocked out the defending champion Lakers in the first round and became the first losing team to reach the Finals since 1959.

Which family, later owners of the Sacramento Kings, owned the Rockets from 1979 to 1982?

The Maloofs bought the club in 1979; when George Maloof died a year later his son Gavin took charge, and the Rockets reached the 1981 Finals before the family sold in 1982.

Which two centres, drafted first overall in 1983 and 1984, formed the Rockets' 'Twin Towers'?

Ralph Sampson and Hakeem Olajuwon reached the 1986 Finals together, but Sampson was traded away in December 1987, barely 18 months later.

Which team beat the Rockets in six games in both the 1981 and 1986 NBA Finals?

The Boston Celtics of Larry Bird won both series 4–2; Houston had reached the 1986 Finals by stunning the 62-win Lakers in five games.

Which former Rockets player took over as head coach midway through 1991–92 and won two titles?

Rudy Tomjanovich, 'Rudy T', took over in February 1992 as an interim coach and stayed until 2003, when illness forced him to step down.

Which 1994 honour did Olajuwon add to MVP and Finals MVP?

Defensive Player of the Year made it a clean sweep for Olajuwon; the Rockets had opened 15–0, months after a Game 7 overtime loss ended their previous season.

What did local papers nickname Houston after the Rockets blew big leads in Games 1 and 2 against Phoenix in 1994?

'Choke City' was the headline after the two collapses; when the Rockets rallied to win the series in seven, Houston answered with a prouder nickname that stuck.

Which team did the Rockets beat in seven games in the 1994 NBA Finals for their first championship?

The New York Knicks led 3–2 before Houston won Games 6 and 7 at home, 86–84 and 90–84; Olajuwon was Finals MVP.

Which former college teammate of Hakeem Olajuwon was acquired from Portland in 1995?

Clyde Drexler, who grew up in Houston, came home in a February 1995 trade for Otis Thorpe and won his only NBA title four months later.

Which team did the sixth-seeded Rockets sweep in the 1995 NBA Finals?

The Orlando Magic held home-court advantage, as all four Rockets opponents did that spring, and still lost four straight; through 2025 no lower seed had won the title.

What word completes the Rockets coach's 1995 line, 'Don't ever underestimate the ___ of a champion'?

'Heart' was the word: the Rockets' coach said it on the home floor moments after his sixth-seeded team became the lowest seed ever to win a title.

Which star did the Rockets acquire from Phoenix in 1996 to form a veteran 'Big Three'?

Charles Barkley came from Phoenix for Sam Cassell, Robert Horry and two others; the 57–25 team lost the West finals to Utah on a John Stockton buzzer-beater.

Which owner bought the Rockets for $85 million in 1993 and saw them win titles in his first two seasons?

Leslie Alexander outbid a rival group by about $4 million in 1993, then held the Rockets for 24 years before selling for $2.2 billion.

Which 7-foot-6 Chinese centre did the Rockets select first overall in 2002?

Yao Ming, an eight-time All-Star, retired in July 2011 after repeated foot and ankle injuries and entered the Hall of Fame in 2016.

Which star did the Rockets get from Orlando in a 2004 seven-player trade?

Tracy McGrady never played in a winning playoff series for Houston, losing in the first round in 2005, 2007 and 2008 before injuries ended his run.

Which 41-year-old centre replaced the Rockets' injured All-Star during their 22-game streak in 2008?

Dikembe Mutombo took over at centre when an injury ended the All-Star's season 12 wins into the streak, and Houston won the last 10 without its leading big man.

Which reigning Sixth Man of the Year did the Rockets acquire from Oklahoma City in 2012?

James Harden scored 37 points with 12 assists in his Houston debut against Detroit, days after the trade from Oklahoma City.

Which general manager brought sabermetrics-style analytics to the Rockets before leaving in 2020?

Daryl Morey, an MIT-trained executive who became general manager in 2007, built the three-point-heavy 'Moreyball' approach and left for Philadelphia in 2020.

Which centre signed with the Rockets as a free agent in July 2013 to pair with their new star guard?

Dwight Howard helped Houston reach the 2015 West finals, then opted out in 2016 and signed with his hometown Atlanta Hawks.

Which team eliminated the Rockets in the conference finals in both 2015 and 2018?

The Golden State Warriors won in five in 2015 and in seven in 2018, when Houston led 3–2 before Chris Paul's hamstring injury.

Which restaurant billionaire bought the Rockets in 2017 for a then-record $2.2 billion?

Tilman Fertitta, the Landry's restaurant owner, had bid $81 million for the Rockets in 1993 and lost; 24 years later the price was $2.2 billion.

From which team did the Rockets acquire Chris Paul in 2017?

The Los Angeles Clippers took seven players and a first-round pick for Paul, who was set on playing beside the Rockets' star guard; Houston then went 65–17.

Whose 30-point streak alone topped the Rockets guard's 32 games in 2018–19?

Wilt Chamberlain's 65 straight in 1961–62 stayed out of reach, but the guard's run lifted a Rockets team that had started 11–14 to a division title.

Whom did the Rockets receive from Oklahoma City in the 2019 trade of Chris Paul?

Russell Westbrook came for Chris Paul, two first-round picks and two swaps; his one Houston season ended in a second-round loss to the Lakers in the 2020 bubble.

The Rockets' 2020 trade of Clint Capela to Atlanta cemented their commitment to what style of play?

Small ball with a five-out offence followed at once: the four-team deal sent centres Capela and Nenê to Atlanta and brought back forward Robert Covington.

To which team was the Rockets' franchise guard traded in January 2021 in a four-team deal?

The Brooklyn Nets landed him; Houston received Victor Oladipo, four first-round picks and four pick swaps, then finished 17–55.

Which G League Ignite guard did the Rockets draft second overall in 2021?

Jalen Green, who skipped college for the G League Ignite, went second behind Cade Cunningham in 2021 and made the All-Rookie First Team.

Which former Celtics coach did the Rockets hire in 2023 to replace Stephen Silas?

Ime Udoka, suspended by Boston for all of 2022–23, took Houston from a 60-loss season to 41–41 in his first year.

Which star did the Rockets acquire from Phoenix in a seven-team trade in July 2025?

Kevin Durant cost the Rockets a starting guard and Dillon Brooks in a deal that grew to seven teams, the largest trade in NBA history.

Which Rocket won the 2017 NBA All-Star Weekend Three-Point Contest?

Eric Gordon won it in New Orleans, the city he had left seven months earlier after five seasons with its NBA team.

What did fans nickname the Rockets' 1972–95 logo and colour scheme?

'Ketchup and mustard' was the fans' tag for the red-and-gold look, worn for both titles and then dropped that same summer for navy pinstripes.

Which 2019 NBA champion left Toronto to sign with the Rockets as a free agent in 2023?

Fred VanVleet went undrafted in 2016, yet his Rockets contract was worth about $130 million over three years.

Which Oscar-winning costume designer of 'Bram Stoker's Dracula' helped create the Rockets' 2003 logo and uniforms?

Eiko Ishioka shaped the Rockets' new look with graphic designer Rafael Esquer, then directed costume design for the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

What is the name of the Rockets' teddy-bear mascot, introduced in 1995?

Clutch takes his name from 'Clutch City', the label Houston embraced during the 1994 title run; the bear debuted in March 1995 and entered the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2006.

The Rockets' 2023–24 City uniform drew on Hakeem Olajuwon's early-1980s college team, known by what nickname?

Phi Slama Jama reached three straight Final Fours from 1982 to 1984 but never won the title, losing the championship game in both 1983 and 1984.

Which company became the Rockets' jersey sponsor in 2021–22?

Credit Karma replaced ROKiT as the jersey-patch partner in 2021, with its logo on the left shoulder of the Nike uniforms.

The Rockets GM's October 2019 tweet that angered China expressed support for what?

The Hong Kong protests were the subject — 'Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong' — and the Chinese Basketball Association suspended its ties with the Rockets.

Which newly crowned MVP did Hakeem Olajuwon outplay as the Rockets won the 1995 West finals in six games?

David Robinson averaged 23.8 points in the series to Olajuwon's 35.3, and his top-seeded Spurs, winners of 62 games, went home.

What was the Rockets' original colour scheme in San Diego?

Green and gold were the original colours; red replaced green on the 1971 move to Houston, keeping the gold.

Which coach won 1991 Coach of the Year with the Rockets despite Olajuwon missing two months injured?

Don Chaney kept the Rockets winning after an elbow fractured Olajuwon's eye socket in January, and they finished 52–30.

Which team did the Rockets beat 4–1 in the first round of the 2015 playoffs?

The Dallas Mavericks had knocked Houston out in seven games in 2005; ten years on, the division-champion Rockets needed only five.

Which guard did the Rockets acquire from Vancouver after the 1999 draft, later a Co-Rookie of the Year?

Steve Francis, 'Stevie Franchise', had refused to play for Vancouver after going second overall; he shared the 2000 Rookie of the Year award with Elton Brand.

What honor did the Rockets' All-Star centre receive at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics?

Carrying China's flag, he led the host team into the stadium beside a nine-year-old survivor of that year's Sichuan earthquake.

Which former Knicks coach led the Rockets to a 45-37 record and their first playoff berth since 1999?

Jeff Van Gundy went 45–37 in his first Houston season but never won a playoff series there, losing Game 7s in 2005 and 2007 before he was fired.

Which other expansion team joined the NBA alongside the San Diego Rockets in 1967?

The Seattle SuperSonics arrived with the Rockets in 1967–68, and neither stayed put: the Rockets left San Diego after four seasons and the Sonics became the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008.

Which arena, opened in 1975, housed the Rockets for 28 seasons?

The Summit was renamed Compaq Center in 1998, and after the Rockets left in 2003 it became the home of Lakewood Church.

Which star did the Rockets land in a January 1999 sign-and-trade to replace a retired Hall of Fame guard?

Scottie Pippen came from Chicago, but the experiment lasted one lockout-shortened season: a first-round loss to the Lakers, then a trade to Portland that October.

The name 'Rockets' honored San Diego's 'city in motion' theme and which company's missile program?

General Dynamics' local division was building the Atlas missile and booster when a 1967 naming contest settled on Rockets.

Which former Celtics coach was hired after the Rockets' league-worst 14-68 season in 1982-83?

Bill Fitch took over in 1983, and the top picks of 1983 and 1984 gave him the two giant centres who carried Houston to the 1986 Finals.

Which Rockets centre, the 16th pick of the 2021 draft, became an All-Star for the first time in 2025?

Alperen Şengün was drafted by Oklahoma City and traded to Houston within a day for future draft picks; he made the All-Star team in his fourth season.