There used to be a poster by the name of "ChuckyBrownFanClub" or something along those lines, in reference to former Rockets hustler, Charles "Chucky" Brown. I wonder if he's still around? As for others, I know there's some Horry Fans, Cassell fans, Francis fans and others who've been fans of those players but still stuck around as Rockets fans even after the player was traded. The Rockets franchise is just that kinda franchise.
More thinking about the skateboarding, bmxing, mid-80's extremely happying. And now this. (You are the one who used to skate at Easy 7s, right?) Hey, I just found an Easy 7 video on youtube. Woohoo. <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/aOQU6UzvNAI&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/aOQU6UzvNAI&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
Born and raised a Rockets fan. When the team moved here from San Diego, my Dad was one of the first ones to get season tickets. He played in college, so he loved basketball. He used to take me to games to see Rudy, Calvin, Moses, The Wopper, Newlin, all the old school guys. Used to go every weekend. Still remember when the Summit first opened. We had the same season tickets since the very first year. Section 102, Row E, seats 1 and 2.
Born in middle Tennessee and still live there to this day - when I was growing up, there were no professional sports teams in TN (this was well before Bud Adams decided to leave, ironically enough Houston, to come to Nashville). So, I did what any kid that loved sports would do - I picked a favorite player in each sport and that team became my favorite as this was around 1985. In MLB, I liked Wade Boggs and Roger Clemens (oh the irony of that now!) thus the reason for being a Red Sox fan. In the NFL, I liked John Elway, thus the reason for being a Broncos fan. And finally, I liked Hakeem Olajuwon (I had liked him back when he was at the University of Houston and cried like a baby when they lost to NC State in '83). Hell, I even got my parents (well more like my mom) to buy me a pair of Hakeem's shoes at that time which were black and red Pumas (I think he later switched over to Etonic). The only problem with that was our big rival, junior high schoolwise, was predominantly red in school colors (with white). I tried explaining to people that my shoes were more in line with the local high school (which was red and black, not red and white) but it fell on deaf ears. Also, when I told them I was wearing the shoes of the Dream, they looked at me like I was some idiot, lol. Needless to say, I didn't wear those shoes long as kids can be such cruel jackasses. I also started liking the University of Miami (Hurricanes) in college football for the way they beat Nebraska in the '84 Orange Bowl. I also liked the University of Tennessee football team (like most people thought I would) but I turned on the Vols when they whipped my Canes in the '86 Sugar Bowl and all I heard was obnoxiousness and downright rudeness from my Vol fan friends! 1986 was my dream year - Red Sox made the World Series, Broncos would go on to the Super Bowl (albeit in January of '87), Rockets would play the Celtics in the NBA finals and Miami was the #1 ranked team in college football. Of course, none of those teams won the championships (Red Sox lost a gutwrenching series to the *****ing Mets, Broncos were crushed by the Giants - another damn NY sports team, Rockets pulverized by the Celtics, and Miami upset by Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl). I would never have another year where all my teams did that well. When the Titans (Oilers for a couple of seasons) arrived in TN, I did go to a handful of games but I couldn't stop liking the Broncos - it wasn't their fault that Bud Adams was a snake oil salesman and robbed Houston (temporarily) of a professional football team. It is like my friends couldn't understand why I would not be a Titans fan all the time. The Titans don't really bother me since I am not from Houston but I can easily understand the hate that people have for them. I usually pull for them in the playoffs when Denver is not in it, but it doesn't bother me when they lose (like they did this past season to the Ravens).
Houston native born in 69. Always remember going to games as a kid. Went to a Calvin Murphy basketball camp sometime when I was 6 or 7 and remember him teaching me to keep my elbow's in on my freethrows and how to do a reverse layup. I bleed Rocket Red.
I became a Rockets fan in 1985 when I moved to Houston. Was a season ticket holder for the 1994-1995 season. I have watched the Rockets play in San Antonio, Los Angeles(Forum), Chicago and Milwaukee.
The first ever NBA game that I recall watching was Game 7 of th '94 Finals, when I was 9 years old, and I was immediately drawn in. I really became engrossed when I had cartilage removed from my knee the next year and I became overwhelmed by the spirit and emotion of Clutch City. Since then, I haven't followed any team as closely as I did the Rockets. I have loads of old game tapes, jerseys, clothes ... everything. I live and die by them, and aside from family, they're the one constant in my life.
Native Houstonian born in 1975. Vague memories of Phi Slama Jama. Remember the Rockets in '86. Rocket fan for life. I remember the city felt like one big group hug when we won it all the first time.
i grew up in a small country town here in Australia (7,000) people not small but not huge in anyway.. Basketball was just becoming big in Australia and everyone was in love with the Bulls and MJ.. So i decided to go down a different path, so at the start of the 94 season i picked the Rockets simply because i played centre in my basketball team and they were not one of the big 3 Bulls, Lakers or Celtics. jumped on and was rewarded in my first year, have bled Rockets Red ever since. Still bring out the tape of the game 7 against New York & game 4 against the Magic.. Still sends tingles down my spine when during the introduction when the voice over says. "Still nobody outside the Rockets inner circle belived" Now the Magic just like the Jazz, Suns and Spurs are believers too.. " And the Rockets will get the respect they deserve with just one more win." I have put up with watching high socks Walt Williams, i have put up with 12 years of losses.. And honestly i watched with the greatest sense of pride yesterday as Shane Battier after getting hit and bleeding laying on the ground got run over by Kobe as he tried to make the play. Still yet to see a game involving the Rockets live, but hopefuly next season i can try and get to Houston to watch a couple of games..
I remember the championship years but I was like 5-6 at the time and not really into sports. Then I started playing organized basketball and I watched Rockets games with my dad and uncle. I fell in love with the team around '97 after the Barkley trade and I've been a fan of the team through the good and bad times.
Elvin Hayes' daughter used to steal my twinkies in second grade. She was a lot taller than I was. Yo Erika...if you're out there, I forgive you. Go Rockets!
same here...i got on the bandwagon when we won our first championship, i was 6 at the time, i think....cried when we lost to the jazz be cause of stockton's 3, lived through the francis/mobley era, was pissed and am still pissed at the tmac trade and am now loving this yao/artest team
I moved to Houston in February of '01, and started watching the Rockets because my new classmates were so enthusiastic about them. I had moved from Miami, which is a huge bandwagon town, so it was refreshing to see such great fans. The next few years were pretty bad, but things are looking good now
I was about 5 years old, the first game of the Finals during the second championship run. I remember seeing my dad being so intense and into the game that he was literally on the edge of his seat the entire time. I remember sitting next to him and asking, "Daddy, are you going for the red or the white?" He said "Red, the Rockets" so I sat next to him and cheered every single time a person in a red jersey made a basket. For the next three games, I did the same thing. I did get confused when we switched home and away jerseys so I would ask him just to make sure, "white or blue"? At the close of the 4th game, my older brother grabbed a broom and us three jumped up and down in the living room. My older sister had a big red and yellow sign, though I don't remember what it said. We then ran outside, loaded into the back of my dad's pick up, and he drove around town. I remember all the honking, cheering and the flashing lights. To this day, I don't remember seeing my dad so happy. (I wasn't there to see his first reunion with my long lost half sister.) It is my favorite childhood memory.
