Sunday early evening at the Cafe Express in Meyerland. Sorry no pics. He walked in (or rather limped in) and made his way to the WC, while his wife ordered a drink. I was in the middle of my meal, and figured I would say something to him on our way out, but I guess he just came in to take a dump since he was nowhere to be found when I was done eating. He's gotten fat, not out of control fat, but fat regardless. I wanted to ask him if he had spoken with Ralph lately.....
Dude has always been fat....and "I guess he just came into take a dump." A classic image indeed! Somebody give us a pic of Rodney Mac...please.
When he played for the Rockets, he had a young daughter, April, who had some disease (dont remember specifically what it was). Anyway, she died as a young child while Rodney was still playing. Also, I believe Rodney had some sort of weird blood disorder later in his playing career which almost killed him and basically forced him out of the NBA.
I thought April was Mad Max's kid. That's why he punched the guy in the stands in Portland, because he thought (mistakenly) they were giving him a hard time about his kid.
No. Max's kid was stillborn. Here is the story on McCray's daughter: http://www.chron.com/content/archiv...50&type=&user=houston&sview=1&hview=2&dview=1 http://www.chron.com/content/archiv...t=&type=&user=houston&sview=1&hview=2&dview=1 Here is the story on McCray's sickness: http://www.chron.com//content/archi...25&type=&user=houston&sview=1&hview=2&dview=1
If it was Matt Bullard would you have put your meal aside immediately? I'm surprised he still lives in Houston.
I had a chance to talk to Rodney a long time ago at an Astros game in the Dome. It was great because I was a big UL fan and grew up watching him play and win a championship. He couldn't have been a nicer guy and answered all of my questions about "what happened to..." other UL players.
Rodney McCray is the reason I am a Rocket fan. I followed him in college to the NBA and became a Rox fan ever since. Rox drafted Rodney 3rd overall in the 1983 draft, 2 picks after we selected Ralph Sampson (that's right we had the 1st AND 3rd pick). He was selected ahead such notables as Byron Scott, Dale Ellis and, of course, hometown fav Clyde Drexler!!! If I am remembering this correctly, McCray and Jim Peterson were traded to the Kings in 88/89 for Otis Thorpe. Thorpe helped win our first title, and then was traded w/Tracey Murray for the aformentioned Drexler who helped us win our 2nd! Incidentally, the Drexler trade happened during the same week that Mad Max was suspended for punching the fan who was heckling him about his daughter Amber. Mad Max was fined $20,000, which at the time was the heftiest fine ever levied by the league. We all know who holds that distinction now. and on a final sidenote, during that same week in Feb '95... Juwan Howard played in the All Rookie game Hakeem Olajuwan was named Player of the Week and... Vin Baker was named as a replacement in the slam dunk competition
There were reports that Michael Jordan and Scottie Quitten liked to verbally go after him while Rodney was with the Bulls in his last years in the league, past the point of trash talking to the point of almost demeaning to him...I read somewhere that in one practice Michael yelled at him "You're no good and never was any good!" I always wondered why as Rodney doesn't seem the hotdog loud mouthtype to be an easy target of that verbal bullying; wondered if it had anything to do with Rodney being an ex-Rocket and the Rockets in those days whooped on the Bulls regularly, also Hakeem being in the same draft as Jordan, and also the Rockets had already won their back to back rings. I just saw it as guilty with association, Jordan was always the envious type even if it seemed he had everything, he intensely disliked Reggie Theus just because his wife used to date Reggie. I think Scottie went after Rodney just because he likes to follow what big brother Mikey does.
The stores about Jordan being abusive to him are so weird, I have no idea why he or Scottie Pippy would feel threatened and insecure about an aging journeyman like McCray - although it further underscores that they're both jerks, which we already knew.
After the '86 season, my brother said the Rockets should trade everyone except Olajuwon and McCray. My brother never liked Sampson. In retrospect he was right.
did you get his autograph on a napkin? lol. i saw him in burger king when i was a kid right after he got traded from houston. he was like, "do you want me to sign the placemat?"
that's funny, I too met Rodney at an Astros game back in 89. He was cool, altough the first thing he said was "Do you want my autograph or what?"
Ralph Sampson was a 20 and 10 guy right out of the shoot at the 5.The man was an excellent center.Playing the 4 and some 3 helped ruin his knees. With regard to Rodney,I know he went through a hard time and was a great guy,but as the 3rd pick of the draft,he was a bust.His career was exceptionally average.And,as has been pointed out,we could have just taken Clyde.I was privileged enough to have watched all of PSJ...and Clyde the Glide was AWESOME...a backyard no brainer.How many people in here thought they might have a coronary when the Rockets passed on Clyde to take Rodney?I mean,out came the primal scream,with the TV almost ending up over the balcony. Anyway,maybe the reason MJ gave Rodney a hard time,was because he felt like RM didn't give 100% and wasn't with the program that won all those titles.
I have a Rodney story from about six years ago. One of the many leagues down at Fonde Rec included a wierd little pro-am quasi-league with a couple of former NBA guys and some CBA/NBA fringe types. The second and third stringers were guys like me and my boss (some high school ball/Junior College ball, mostly weekend warriors). Back then I worked for the Mayor's Office doing community and media relations for drug prevention and mental health types of intiatives. I think some of the players came from John Lucas' treatment program. Anyway, our team included Rodney as our "Pro". My highlight from the six or so games we played was me taking a pass from Rodney just above the 3pt line and taking it to the basket. I scored one of my two goals that season on a floating bank shot over a legit 7ft former CBA retiree (can't remember his name but looked like a younger Tree Rollins). I was promply knocked flat on my ass!! I niether tried or had much opportunity to talk with Rodney and he almost never said a word on the court or around most people. He seemed very decent! I can however attest to his girth. His backside was easily a match for Sir Charles and that was in 1999!!
