What was the major influence that caused you to become a Rockets' fan?

YOF, ROF, TOF, whatever, doesn't matter much, neither make you less/more of a fan.

If the Rocket were to move to Vancouver Canada right now (where I live), I doubt the so called "true rocket fan" (ps. it does not exist) will even brother rooting for the team anymore. And I would root for the team no matter what even if Yao wasn't on the team.

 

It is not cleverly disguised and we are not afraid to state we cheer for the team due to Yao, because apparently we form a plurality.

 

My neighbor took me to Moses Malone era games when I was about 10. I still remember sneaking down to the floor and being blown away by how f'in big the players were.

Been a fan ever since.

 

I was first most a baseball fan, Back some time around 92', I'd get off work, catch a few beers with some friends, make my way home and guess who was on t.v.? the Rockets. I wasn't much of a basketball fan then, but watching night after night you start to support your home team. I'd watched this team,they were a good solid team lead by Rudy T, with Hakkeem doing some incredible stuff. They shortly turned to choke city, and transformed into Clutch City, then NBA Champs. Heart of a Champion!! Baby!! I've been on a roller coaster ride ever since. I remember the 92' year, when they were out of it and went on like 10-12+ game winning streak, got knocked out of the playoffs, then followed the next season starting out 15-0. I'd watch the games at night and spend half the next day at work reading the paper and looking at box scores. We've had some good years and some bad, but I'd say I've enjoyed all of them. The team has changed from Thorpe to Drexler, to Barkley, Pippen, Glen Rice, C. Mobley and Francis to Yao, now T-mac and this loaded team we have now. It's been very special, but my favorite is seeing Choke City - Clutch City, Hakeem, Rudy, Cylde and Heart of a Champion!! This Rockets Team, this year is very special. I'm glad the JVG era is over, It's Time!!! to make a new history11 Go Rockets!!!

 

my dad had season tickets when I was a kid and we went to tons of games. This was in the Akeem, McCray, Reid days. I kept watching them after that, and they became my all time favorite Houston sports team (previously was the oilers) when we won it all my junior year in high school. Best series I ever experienced (though no season tickets at that point)

 

i was born and raised in houston, texas with a father who was a houston sports fan.

 

It was supposed to be a funny post taking the mickey out of the thread starter!!!!!

 

When I was a kid, I went to a basketball camp that Robert Reid was doing. I liked basketball, but I didn't know a lot about the NBA other than the Rockets had gone to the Finals with Moses Malone. After that camp I started watching the Rockets when they drafted Sampson, then the next year Akeem and I was hooked to Rockets Ball.

 

Sounds like there are too many PK's on this board

Phi Slamma Jamma rocked Houston, and I jumped on board then -~1981. I watched the Rockets sometimes then but just rolled over to the Rockets fulltime when Hakeem was drafted. I haven't missed too many games since then - dang, that is almost 25 years of Rocket ball!

 

When i was growing up in the early 80's I started watching during first couple of Finals runs vs. the Celts. Has kind of alway been there for as long as i can remember

 

My mom was 8.5 months pregnant with me attending games during the 1981 finals. My dad used to take me to games starting at age 4. If we lost, I was determined that the refs had cheated and let everyone around me know.

During the championship years, I was inseparable from my Hakeem jersey and lucky basketball during crucial games (I don't think we ever lost when I had them with me).

Best Rockets memories: Driving by the Summit with my parents after game 7 vs. Knicks. Getting to dunk off the trampoline during half time.

Funniest Rocket memories: Any and all Derrick Chevious (sp) free throws. Moochie vs. the bat.

Saddest Rocket memories: Karl Malone Bearhug. Round 1 Game 7 loss to Mavs.

 

I used to be a Magic fan, I was quite into Shaq/Penny era...they played good basketball.
Honestly I didnt pay too much attention to the Rox back then, until Rockets totally detroyed my Magics, 4-0, loud and clear.

Ive been a Rox fan ever since.

 

For me, I was never a big Olajuwon fan from early in his career. I was not a big Phi-Slamma-Jamma fan, I was not in Houston at that time, and watching the UofH cream people all the time was kind of annoying. Everyone loves a good David vs Goliath story from time to time, and Villanova's huge upset was met with more cheers than groans when I saw it.

Then, when Olajuwon came into the NBA, following what was clearly a tank job by Houston the season immediately after picking up Sampson and McCray, it was all kind of a black eye on the NBA for a while.

The Rockets started to becomes something of the 'future' of the NBA when they stormed into the finals and got beat by the Celtics, but the writing seemed to be on the wall: The Rockets were going to be the 'Next Big Thing' in the NBA, the next great dynasty, the Twin Towers were going to dominate like nobody had ever seen before.

Then, bam! the wheels not only fell off, they exploded, and took most of the car with them. Drugs. Wrecked knees. Bad coaching. Bad owners. Olajuwon feuding openly, being accused ot dogging it.

Then when Chaney got fired, and Tomjanovich stepped into that void, supposedly only temporarily, suddenly everything seemed to change. Otis Thorpe came on board. Mario Elie. New owner. New Olajuwon, apparently, one who was calmer, more mature, who worked hard, who had perfected his craft, who had driven himself to become arguably the best player in the game at the time, Jordan notwithstanding, and he was all ours.

Then, the greatest post-season run ever. Cannot and will not be topped. The second in two years, one heart-stopping win after another. Clyde coming home. Sam. Horry. Crazy Vernon. Kenny nailing that 3.

By the time this team reached the top of the mountain in the 90's, I was already hooked. I think it was when Rudy took over. He was such an everyman, just like us, had played for us, and openly admitted he didn't feel like he was the right guy for the job, but he bravely took it on anyway, and brought such wonderful things to us all.

So many heartbreaks though too - Stockton. Malone's bear0hug. Vernon taking that crazy shot when OT was standing all alone under the basket. Hakeem getting old. Quitten. Barkley and Clyde both having to call it quits a bit before their time truly should have been up. Horrible drafts. Cato. Taylor. Maloney. Rice. Hanging on too long to the glory days, waiting too long to rebuild.

Then Stevie. What a miracle this kid was. We all wanted him to grow as we had seen our other stars grow. Cat. Dickerson. Eggie.

But Rudy got sick, and was taken away from us. Wheels fall off yet again. Griffin fulfills every nightmare scenario projected about him before the draft, and then about a hundred times more.

Steve makes the greatest shot in franchise history, snagging us that #1 pingpong ball.

Yao!

JVG shows up, bringing a hard nose, toughness, and an uggggly brand of ball. Sales of sleep aids plummet in Houston (no longer needed). Dribble dribble dribble-desperation-3 at the buzzer.. SuperBowl-gate.

Stevie has to go. What? The best player in the game suddenly says he wants to come play with Yao? Really? They want Steve? He's all theirs, baby.

****

So much history, so many roller-coaster rides. And now, the games are actually fun to watch, at least so far this year.

And because of what this team gave to us in the 90's, what we all went through together.. man, this thing with the Rockets is not just being a fan.

It's love.

 

The center position has always been my favorite, and players not teams were what I use to follow...


with Shaq on the decline... and TD playing... forward....Yao is the most logical choice... but Amare, Howard, and Oden are kncoking on the door

 

i still remember the first time i ever watched a rockets game. i was sitting on the couch while my dad was sitting next to me with a pots and pans and whenever they would make a shot he would always play them like bongos. but anyways the first person i ever saw in a rocket uniform was Sam Cassell. It was game 7 and i remember the comparison of stats of harper, smith, and cassell. thats when i fell in love with the rockets. i got a cassell jersey that its still hanging up on my room from those years. ahh the memories.

 

Followed Tracy Mcgrady.

 

Being born and raised here in Houston and being a sports junky, it was just a natural connection. My dad used to take me to games when I was a baby and I guess I got hooked. I loved the early 90's teams when the games were on the original UPN. I actually would love if someone could find the theme music from the telecasts when Don Chaney was coach.

 

Sampson. Reid. Akeem. Lloyd. Wiggins.
We will rock you.

 

I was a kid and knew nothing about basketball.. I started to watch in the 95 season and to my luck they were champions. I kept on watching even when things got really bad.. I am true to Houston (born and raised) and every sport team thats from here.

 

Uuuuuuuuugh. More YOFs than Houstonians? LAME.