Every single owner in the NBA is gonna think twice of passing the luxury tax threshold...even Mark Cuban. And Les may not go bonkers like Cuban during the games, but he is there supporting his team AND he is willing to part w/ some of his cash flow to sign big-name and/or up-and-coming players (though it may not always work out the way he wishes). Plus, its pretty hard to make a comparison to Cuban, because frankly, there is no other owner in the NBA that even remotely resembles his fire, dedication and enthusiasm (Joe and Gavin Maloof may come close). As for the worst Rocket ever...definitely Pippen.
as far as this board goes, i would say cuttino has the lifetime achievement award in my two years here. but i must say francis has gained on him nicely in recent times. my most hated current rocket is probably moochie simply b/c i can't stand when he is in the game (and i don't think any other rocket has made me feel this way in the 14 years i've been following them). i don't hate moochie the person, but moochie the bball player takes the cake. pippen is the biggest punk ass b**** to ever play for us as far as i'm concerned since i've been following them. i'll never understand the barkley hate (unless you just carried over the hate from the phoenix days which i guess i can accept b/c i didn't like him then either). he advanced us an extra round in the playoffs the next year and essentially all we lost longterm was sam cassell who wasn't gonna be the difference in winning titles with only hakeem and drexler on board. as far as the passing comment, verse is right, he was one of the great post passers ever and one of only 3 20000/10000/5000 players in history. as far as vernon, i could never hate him b/c of his contribution to the first title. anyone on those two title teams would have to do something really bad to me personally for me to not like them.
Man, I can't believe somebody else in this world still holds a grudge about that besides me! I can't believe that nobody has mentioned Ralph Sampson yet. I mean, the guy didn't show up for his own wedding! That tops Vernon Maxwell (who I liked except for when he hit that fan in Portland), Charles Barkley (who I like despite spitting on the girl, for whom he was NOT aiming), toked out Taylor, and lazy Cato combined. Oh yeah, he also had two cases against him this summer for not paying child support. But don't dog on Barkley.. the guy took the league minimum so the Rockets front office could go sign a free agent. I hate CD for making that free agent Pippen, but everyone thought he'd be greater than the total bust he turned out to be.
I don't remember Vernon Maxwell walking out on the team during the playoffs in the 2nd title run. I remember that he got suspended 30 something games for punching a fan, then Drexler was traded to Rockets, and so Rudy T didn't put him on the playoff roster. I remember reading an Houston Chron article about Hakeem arguing to Rudy T to put MadMax on the roster, but I guess Rudy T knew he would be a distraction and didn't. But I also remember Maxwell being interviewed while playing golf during the playoffs LOL. So that's why I don't believe he walked out on the team during the playoffs, Rudy T just didn't put him on the playoff roster. Anyway, Pippen is the most hated Rocket, but can you blame him for wanting to leave? The offensive scheme was drop to Hakeem and Charles and shoot the 3 which wasn't his game. (maybe Maloney), and he choked in the playoffs by mishandling the dribble against Lakers.
Madd Maxx didn't walk out on the team. If I remeber right he was not put on the play off roster becuase he had some personal issues to resolve. He was arrested well before the playoffs and the Rox did an great job of keeping it quiet. Drex was starting and they had Ellie to help with the backup 2. Max was mad/upset about his lack of playing time but Rudy made the final decision. People really dislike him for his mean streak and bad temper but that is what we are complaing is missing from our current team. Pippen did the most disrespect to the Rox after we did $o much for him. He should and does have the most disslike from Rox fans But I could not stand Maloney and Drew, two of the worst point guards in our history.
SCOTTIE PIPPEN! i dont five a f*** if he's part of the 50 greatest nba players, a member of the original dream team (it should be DREAM's team!!! lol ), or been jordan's p**** for a long-@ss time! he disrespected the rocs organization and specially, us rocs fans! the name of him makes my blood boil!
All right, my mammary..er, memory may be fuzzy but I remember Vernon leaving in the middle of the playoffs, not the beginning. I don't get all the Pippen hatred...well, I do but I never really considered him a Rocket. He was here and gone so fast, it almost didn't matter. As far as Ralph goes, it's not his fault his knees got torn up. Yes, he flamed out against Boston but that was one of the best teams in the history of the NBA. Lots of guys did. Plus he hit the most famous shot in Rockets history including Mario's Kiss of Death IMO. Sean Elliott was a Rocket for about a day. He failed his physical after being traded for Robert Horry. Then he said he didn't want to play for Houston because the fans don't really support the team.
Without a doubt! He ruined the feel good chemistry that we had and caused us to trade away the only youth we still had on this team. As a side note the Chuckster did pass, it just seemed like he didn't because he had the ball in his hands for about 80% of the shot clock. Once again I like the man but I just wish he was never a Rocket. Oh and Charles was rewarded for taking the minimum....
Did you even see him play? Sampson was amazing until he took a terrible fall on his back in Boston during the '86 Finals. (yes, the Finals... he was, literally, a huge part of why we got there) He was never the same after that, imo, even before the knee problems. He had issues with wanting to "be a point guard" on occasion, but he was a great player who played out of position after we got Akeem. Ralph was a natural center. The rest of the League recognized his value back then, pre-injury, even if you don't. And if your going to bring up personal issues, why don't you carry on about Jordan and his numerous affairs, etc., etc.... Geez.
Thank you, Deckard! I remember a game when Akeem was hurt and Ralph was starting at center. He came up to the scores table before the game and handed the Rockets commentator at the time (either Worrell or Barry Warner, I don't remember) a sheet of paper that said "35 points, 20 rebounds". Damned if he didn't go out and score 37 and grab 20+ rebounds. Amazing. If he played his natural postion and didn't have the problem with his knees, who knows how great his career would have been.
Ralph actually liked to play face up to the basket. A healthy Sampson and Hakeem would have brought Houston far every year. The play I remember most about Ralph was when he went up to block shot and had both hands slapping the backboard, one on each side of the net.
does owners count cause there was NO love for Charlie Thomas. 1Charlie Thomas 2 Pippen 3 buck Johnson 4 Drug heads (lucas, Lloyd , Wiggens, vernon Maxwell) 5 Moochie 6 the tocken White Boy faction (Drew, Price, Maloney,) 7 Cato 8 Francis/mobley 9 Rudy 10 Hakeem EXPLANATIONS 1 People Hated Charlie Thomas almost as much as they hated Bud Adams. 2 Rocket fans hate Pippen like Oiler fans like Talking about the Buffalo comeback game 3 How Buck even got in the league is a question I ponder to this day 4a The biggets question in Rockets history is not what happens if the Barkley trade never happen. It is not what happens if the Sampson never gets hurt and the Twin Towers stay together. It is IF THE ROX TOOK SUPPOSEDLY THE GREATEST TEAM OF ALL TIME TO 6 GAMES WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THESE FOOLS HAD OF NOT GOT CAUGHT TAKING DRUGS. 4b Vernan just seem to cause problems than he was worth 5 Moochie: to much hear, too much dribbling, too much money; been here to d*mn long 6 I am not one to play the race card but in the hood it did not look goo that these guys got with ZERO SKILL gets fat contracts and the much loved Sam Casell get traded away. 7 Believe it or not there was not an ecpectation for hem to be the next Dream EVEN half of Dream. Problem is he never tried to be 1/100th of dream 8 When you are the star players on a team that has not beeb to the playoff in 4 years you get dogged out 9 See # 8 and change player to coach 10 As much as everyone on this board luv Dream there are a lot of people who do not in Houston. Especially with the way he left. And the fights he had with management over the years too. The him being African also played a part of it. (hey this is the south, they too hate to a new level down here)
