Whenever people ask who was the Greatest Rocket ever

Exactly, I mean Detroit - can we really call it basketball? Those fouls players would take - would all be flagrant and the Bad Boys... Probably banned from the league. Don't get me wrong they played basketball and had skills but the hits from those guys were like football...

 

Man, people forget Rudy practically dying from that Washington punch, most people that's career ending - not Rudy though he came back and made the all star team 1x more. If that punch didn't happen, it would have most likely changed the entire rockets history - he wouldn't have been moving into coaching as soon as he did.

Rudy basically grew up tough and I think his contributions as a coach helped everything gel. That 94 run, absolutely amazing. I honestly think his humbleness/toughness really helped the team chemistry - especially taking the guys out to play in Galveston - away from normal facilities

https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/rudy-awakening/

"The next savvy move he made was to relocate the team’s preseason training facility to Galveston, where, in an isolated setting, he could promote the kind of togetherness he had come to believe in as an unheralded star. “He made it very clear,” says Olajuwon, “that this isn’t his team, it’s our team. So if you want to go somewhere, you have to sincerely do it together.” In addition to aggressive defense, Tomjanovich emphasized a well-spaced offense in which the in-and-out passing between the center, Olajuwon, and the perimeter players would be accomplished by sliding the latter players toward the ball so that Hakeem could better see his options. “He instilled the players’ belief in his game plan,” says Kenny Smith. “It’s going to take the players to maintain the structure, but they have to believe that the structure is beneficial. And I think our guys believe it.”"

 

GSW —> Don Nelson’s true small ball —> Run TMC

 

Whatever happens, Harden has earned his place in Rockets history. He has carried this team (sometimes almost singlehandedly) into the playoffs his entire time here, advancing into later rounds more often than not. That's certainly more than you can say for any Rockets star since the Olajuwon-Drexler (+ Barkley) heydey. Harden is no T-Mac. He has been extremely durable, he has kept his mouth shut while playing hurt, and he has delivered a boatload of playoff victories (if not the ultimate prize). I hope this marriage doesn't end badly, but if it does, I place equal blame on ownership as on Harden.

 

This, that's what some fans (maybe newer fans?) don't understand.... After hakeem was gone the Rockets advanced in just one playoff series - until Harden got here.



W/ no Harden there was a **** ton of heartache - no real advancing / on paper solid - but injuries etc etc - yeah, there was that rigged Dallas series and other issues but until Artest and a different coach got here - Yao/tmac were amazing in the regular season but no advancement.

And then.... It's like people forget the path it took to get to that 94 chip for hakeem. I think if Harden does leave, yeah - I'll be disappointed, but am I not going to want his number retired in Houston? He's honestly the most deserving Rocket player we've witnessed since Yao to have his number retired (and honestly on Yao I think it's more for the global game - so you might have to go back to Hakeem/Drexler due to hometown status), Yao was amazing those last few years - but unfortunately w/ injuries we'll never get that satisfaction we've already been close to multiple times with Harden. He's done a ton for this franchise - I mean the major markets hate us again - but the Rockets were actually back on real network TV and not just on LP/local market (after Yao retired).

Harden can get out of the 1st round on his own, unfortunately we can't say the same about McGrady. You can also say... Harden is a trend setter for his stepbacks - he literally perfected that move - did that happen in the club or putting in the work?

Seriously though, I think when he's gone and there's not another harden/hakeem walking through that door we'll realize - faults or not - he's a legit HOF player and dedicated some of his best years to Houston.

I'm obviously a Rocket fan 1st, but if this ends, it was a good ride.

 

Touche salesman. I did not read the 1st post....admittedly.

 

The correct answer is Chuckwagon