Favorite player succession from the time you started watching the Rockets

*Dream and I came upon this team together, so he starts the list.
**Stevie
*Yao
JEHj
J/S T / DN
Tomorrow? JG? CW? AS? UG?

*Dream and Yao will forever be a part of my sports heart.
**Stevie was the nova, so endearing in his way.

 

Olajuwon
Francis [+ Cat]
McGrady
Scolandry + Brooks + Hayes
[None]
Chris Paul
[None]
Jaesean Tate

 

Mine resembles something probably pretty similar to what others have already mentioned, but it probably looks something like:

Hakeem
Francis
McGrady
Yao
Scola
Tate

Those T-Mac/Yao era and the time before Harden is tough to pinpoint, but it feels like McGrady's health went downhill before Yao and when Yao's career was clearly done, Scola was the most fun guy to watch out of the team that was left. The Brooks to Lowry to Dragic era of point guards were up there, too, but Scola was the most consistently present, likeable guy to root for.

Tate wins this last season almost by default. Wood wasn't healthy enough, KPJ was really inconsistent any time I watched him and KJ Martin really only came on late in the season. But Tate's been a really fun two-way athlete to watch in his short time in Houston, and I hope he's part of this rebuilding core down the line despite his age. Green feels like a lock next season, but you never know with Sengun; I love his game.

 

Most of you will probably have to look up half this list! LOL

I can still hear Gene Peterson on my transistor radio under the covers when I was supposed to be asleep saying "the Whopper backing it in, backing it in for 2 and he's fouled" or "Buckeroo for 2"! And I'll never forget the un-blockable Sky-hook of Kareem Abdul Jabaar getting stuffed at it's apex by Bill Willoughby and it making the cover of Sport's Illustrated. I had to wait a week to see that picture after hearing Peterson's call. Now you can see everything on your phone instantly. Is it weird I miss waiting for Sport's Illustrated?

Don Kojis
Elvin Hayes
Calvin Murphy
Rudy Tomjnovich
Bobby Jo Reid
Moses Malone
Billy Paultz
Rick BArry
Bill Willoughby
Ralph Sampson
Lewis Lloyd
Rodney McCray
Hakeem Olajuwan
Buck Johnson
World B Free
Larry Smith
Otis Thorpe
Eddie Johnson
Yao Ming
Luis Scola
Dikembe Mutumbo
James Harden
Gerald Green

 

And I forgot "Sweet Lew for 2"

 

Rick Berry
Rudy T
Calvin
Moses
Sampson
McCray
Akeem ))
OT
Sam
Mario
Francis
TMAC
YAO
JH
?

 

@DaDakota

When we went from Buck Johnson to Robert Horry

 

Trevor Ariza

 

Plow, let’s add an addendum of players whom we favored without them being THE FAVS:

I’ll start with Robert ‘Bobby Joe’ and Rodney McCrae. Move on to OT, Luke and Wigs.

Sam - my! Should have had ET on the first list, frankly. Super Mario.

Turning the big 2Ks, Cat. Chandler P. Bobby Sssssssssura. Dikembe.

PJ & CC.

Everyone on today’s roster, including the quality, tho vastly overpaid/underappreciated, JWall.

Excited to find out who moves to the earned very head of this list!

 

Hakeem
Steve Francis /Oscar Torres
Yao /Chuck Hayes
Beverley
Tate

 

Past:
Murphy
Malone
Robert Reid
Hakeem
Otis Thorpe
Mad Max
Robert Horry
Sam Cassell
Super Mario
AB
Harden
Capela

Now:
KPj
Green
KMj
Tate
Sengun

Wild card:
Armoni Brooks
JayGup

 

oh, my - apologies to The Chuck Wagon, never (ok, almost never) forgotten.

and Chuckie (never heard of him) Brown.

 

The team that David Stern killed for fear of upsetting the showtime lakers v Celtics….the 1986 Houston rockets. I still firmly believe he sent drugs and hookers to take down Mitch Wiggins, John Lucas and lew Lloyd. Who here remembers Sweet Lou breaking out for nearly 30 points on the night of Ralph Sampson’s debut.

Any progression through rockets history really has to stop and ponder the 1986 rockets and what could have been a dynasty

 

lou will
gerald green
tucker
prince
tate
suggs

 

^^^^
This

Minus Ralph

 

You left off

Zaid Abdul Aziz
Jack Marin
Eddie Ratliff
Lee Johnson
John Turner

 

I was a kid soaking everything up when Hakeem and MJ were already in their prime and games were on NBC..i think 90 season? But my most clear memories of actual games started with watching the 91 Finals on. That Finals into the whole 92 season and the Dream Team were really my best memories of both watching and trying to pretend to be Michael or Hakeem or Magic or Bird playing ball on a milk crate attached to the light post when we lived in poor apartments before my dad moved up in the world, but i do have some hazy memories from before then including trading cards from late 80s.
I'll be honest, i have a really hard time remembering anything before 7 years old, not just basketball-but i have watched countless hours of games and highlights from those late 80s and early 90s seasons and still amazed by Hakeem. My dad was an immigrant and there's only 2 things he really loved in American culture and it was classic rock and the Houston Rockets/Hakeem and NBA basketball and so my bias will always be for Hakeem-same for MJ and same for Jerry Rice.
Black box pirated cable. Balling on milk crates and then moving to a new neighborhood and house and getting a huffy hoop on our long drive way where i would bomb away from deep. Rocking all the champion jerseys. Starter jackets. Collecting albums worth of cards and trading with my boys. Sunday mornings were always especially beautiful, waking up early, catching some toons and then balling outside and coming home to see the intro story leading into that magical NBA on NBC theme. It was incredible. No one can pass Hakeem until they do it in a no brainer manner for me. Same for MJ.

 

I'm still envious of those who were at the right age to watch college or rookie season of a GOAT into their end. Imagine watching Kobe at 18 til his retirement all on the same team. I hope Green becomes that legend i can one day say is my favorite player succession story from all the pre draft battle against Mobley fans to the hyped up Summer League to ROY to MVP to champion to career marks to retirement and watching the jersey be hung in the rafters and of course all the downs along with the ups, but what are the odds a player stays 15 to 20 years with the same team anymore? Thanks Lebron.

 

inside the NBA with Ahmad rashad. Willow Bay was such a babe.

national games called by Brent musberger.

I’m with you on all that stuff, including sh-tty apartments, moving to a house, finally shooting hoops in my own driveway.