Rockets history: San Diego played a game in Houston in 1969

Another piece of trivia is that Rick Adelman was a San Diego Rocket. 9 points!

 

Is it true the SD Rockets wore green and yellow?

Imagine if we'd kept that scheme!

 

Box score

The Riley at the bottom of the Rockets box score was Pat Riley. He was their first round pick out of KY. Waste of a first rounder but made a pretty fair coach and GM! And Lantz is Stu Lantz who, I think, is now a broadcaster for maybe the Lakers.

Lived in SD and went to lots of games (my wife got free tickets working for a radio station) - front row courtside no less! They were an expansion team. Been a Rox fan ever since.

D R

 

Hah! Crazy.
Our rivalry with the Sonics would've been very interesting.

 

Man those throwbacks would be awesome to wear one night

 

I had a t-shirt with this on it. It was the best shirt they ever gave out at the game.

 

Great find! Actually, it was a double header. Detroit played Cincinnati in the other game (don't remember who won). There's a thread in Hangout about the Dome and McNair and what not wanting to level it, fill in the hole, and put 1500-2500 parking places there, probably for season ticket holders (I added that last bit myself). Folks today forget what a huge deal, literally and figuratively, the Astrodome was at the time. 41,000 people watching the NBA in Houston! Think about it. We didn't have a team and could only dream of one at the time. That was a hell of a turnout. I wonder if it had an impact on Houston getting the Rockets not long after. I can't help but think that it did. It's still the largest crowd ever to see the Pistons at a road game. Houstonians will turn out for a "novelty act," but still need a winner to turn out in big numbers for a team on a regular basis, which the Rockets found out after making the move.

 

Htownbandit is Tinman's dad. Kickin it OLD school. Good stuff!

 

I have a green and yellow tshirt I got many years ago from the rockets with that logo. It's so sweet.

 

what a coincidence that the name "rockets" fit with out city so well

 

I like this old school stuff.

I'm more like Tribe Called Quest, and you went Doug E Fresh on Clutchfans.

 

I was there with my HS basketball team. it was a double-header with the Rockets vs Celtics and Cincinatti Royals (with the Big O) vs the Detroit Pistons (Dave Bing was their big star). Had to watch with binoculars from the upper level gold seats!

 

Do you know what was up with Russell not playing by any chance?

 

I would imagine it did. As I am sure OKC hosting the Hornets helped their chances of snagging the Sonics.

I hope the Sonics return to Seattle soon.

 

i remember that game!

 

I've always thought it was odd that they were called the Rockets BEFORE they moved to Houston. Were there ever rockets in San Diego as opposed to Houston?

It would be like the Pistons being called the Pistons before they moved to Detroit.