Rest in peace Charlie Thomas, the owner of a Texas car dealership empire who owned the Houston Rockets from 1982-1993 and helped build the team that would win the franchise’s only championships, died on Friday of complications from COVID-19, his son-in-law Danny Klaes said. Thomas was 89. He did not miss televised Rockets games in the years since, Klaes said, often watching with some of his eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren and daughters Kelly, Robin and Tracy. “He remained a true Rockets fan,” Klaes said. “He always had them on the television. He really was a true fan and always just had a heart for all the fans.” During his tenure as Rockets owner, he greenlit the move to trade Moses Malone to begin a rebuilding that led to the Rockets taking Hall of Famers Ralph Sampson and Hakeem Olajuwon with the first picks of consecutive drafts and reaching the NBA Finals in 1986. He was part of a volatile rift with Olajuwon when he accused Olajuwon of feigning a hamstring injury over an impasse in contract negotiations. Olajuwon demanded an apology that never came and was suspended. Before the start of the next season, however, Thomas and Olajuwon spoke throughout the 14-hour flight to Tokyo for the 1992-93 season opener against the Seattle SuperSonics, mending fences. The Rockets were then willing to continue to build around Olajuwon, assembling much of the team that would win the 1993-94 and 1994-95 championships. Thomas purchased the Rockets from the Maloof family for $11 million and sold after the 1992-93 season to Leslie Alexander for $85 million. Thomas tested positive for COVID-19 on Dec. 27 after a trip to Mexico, enjoying life as he always had. “He always said he was going to die from living, not live to die,” Klaes said.
He was the owner when we got Dream and Sampson! He would of had some championships under his name if Loyd and Wiggins didn’t snort everything in sight! Que en Paz Descanse... ....... ....... .......
Lol I did not know the Maloofs (later the Sacto Kings owners) were who he bought it from. Shady vegas casinos are part of our heritage!
As he was a true fan, I believe in my heart of hearts, Shillman had a part to play in his passing, with the way things are being run now.
Lebanese power, man. We own everything. Lol RIP I bet Bill will have many stories on tomorrow’s broadcast.
Les would love to watch all Rockets televised games but he's still busy counting the two Billion dollars he received in quarters changes from the broke Tillman
Heard the news from his family this morning. Very sad news. I didn’t want to post it until the news broke publicly Charlie was a very generous and kind man. A big reason why I love the rockets so much and one of the biggest rockets fans I knew until the end. Every game was on his tv, no matter what. Rest In Peace my friend
