Just wondering if anyone on this board met any Rockets Players of the championship years and beyond. And what was the experience like....?
In order of appearance: Hakeem Olajuwon - Quiet and very cordial. This was in 1989 at the Sportstown I worked at. Clyde Drexler (he played for Portland at the time, great guy, extremely personable), also at Sportstown. He was signing autographs for Avia. Sleepy Floyd - JERK, nothing else can be said. Well, other than PRICK. Charles Barkley - at a Mavs game in Dallas. He was standing near my seat talking to someone, I ran down and waited patiently behind the guy he was talking to. He shook my hand, said hello, and I told him good luck in the game. He said thanks, and smiled, trotted back to the court.
Back in the day, I played pick up games at second baptist high school with Otis thorpe, sleepy floyd, and avery johnson. I have been to dinner with Hakeem. Talked to Horry at mama's cafe. Talked to Mobley at the bar in hotel Derek. Been to Kenny Smith camp. Talked to robert reid there. Had a short conversation with Walt williams at IHOP. I see Matt Maloney every week at Sierra. Never met Mad Max.
I met Clyde Drexler at Westside the summer after they won their 2nd championship. He was a very nice guy. He tried to talk to everyone that was there (it was for a charity event) and even posed for a picture with me. I also met Steve, Mo, Cat, and Moochie at the Outdoor practice that they had downtown for the Save the Rockets campaign (I have pics of that too, but just of them signing). They all seemed pretty nice, but you could tell they would rather be doing something else then signing 100's of free autographs. Cat seemed like the nicest of the group and made a point to talk to everyone who was in line to see him. I would have met more of the team, but you were only allowed to get like one autograph. Luckily I was helping Jeff pass out stuff to encourage people to vote yes on the new arena and was able to get more then one autograph sheet. Thanks Jeff!
I played 18 holes with Eric Riley (backup center from one of the championship years) at Sharpstown. Nice guy, fairly quiet. He couldn't outdrive me (reasonably difficult to do), but he did hit the ball pretty far with those long arms. I didn't know who he was though - he said he played in the NBA and I checked up on him later. Trying to be casual, I replied "Nice work if you can get it!", which I regret, because I think he only played one season after that in the NBA. I kind of felt like I jinxed him...
I Eric Riley played for the Knicks shortly. His career ended there as I believe he was traded to Dallas then to NY with Scott Brooks.
I met Scotty Brooks at Sams Boat on Richmond. He had the championship trophy with him and the wife and I were lucky enough to get to hold the trophy and give it a big kiss. Thanks Scotty... Met Mad Max at a little bar in Shepard Plaza. He had his cap pulled down low so he wouldn't be mobbed but he found his way out side where there was a little herbal refreshment going on (wink wink nudge nudge say no more). Seemed like a nice guy, he quit the team about a month later. Quitter. Saw Drexler at FAO Schwartz on Westhimer not too long ago. He had kids with him so I left him alone.
I've met Sir Charles, this was stil when he was on the suns. he was at the old chillis at the galleria. i met Kenny thomas at Katy MIlls mall about a month or so ago. And i met moochie cat and franchise at taylor high school for the and 1 game. that dosent really count though since i knew theyde be there.
I met Mario Elie this year when he was on TV on Channel 20. I also met Matt Bullard and Kelvin Cato when they were in studio last season. Cato was kinda an ass! Bull was cool! I shot the first sit down interview and press conference last year with Eddie Griffin and Terence Morris when they were first introduced after last years draft. It was kinda funny because we were setting up in the Comets locker room before the news conference and Griffin was sitting there with his Mom looking all nervous like a little kid. We then interviewed Rudy T. I also met Calvin Murphy a few times this year while doing radio commercials, he really opened up alot and spoke about a lot of personal Rockets issues I can't mention. Went go-carting with David Wood back in High School, he lived down the block from my best friend and David knew the owner of Celebration Station on 59. He was cool. In fact my friends two younger brothers are still ball-boys for the hell of it. They're both in their mid-20s.
Shot an educational commercial with Clyde Drexler once. He's so huge in person. Signed an autograph for everyone there, and we shot around for a bit.
Cuttino Mobley, Calvin Murphy and some other players from the Rockets came to my school a couple of years ago to encourage kids to stay in school.
In order of appearance (ala HOOP-T): Matt Bullard - Nicest guy ever. Like talking to a good buddy that you havent seen in years. Moochie Norris - Only stopped and talked to me because I had on a Mooch shirt. Seemed cool and down to earth. Very mild mannered. Calvin Murphy - Nice freaking suit. But he was cool enough to stop for a photo. Kinda cheesy though. Bring him cookies and he will be your buddy for life. Kevin Willis - Guy was all business. He was courteous, but started getting a little pissy when my girlfriend took a snapshot of him. I can understand, especially since I'm scrawny and white. Cuttino Mobley - Very cool and laid back. People talk **** about him because he runs his mouth on the court, but he was very cool at Ling & Javier and talked with me for quite a while. I could tell per our conversation that he was proud to be a Houston Rocket, and respected the organization deeply. Steve Francis - A little on the cocky side, but not nearly as bad as other NBA players I have met. Dude was hitting on my girlfriend, but thats a another story. Offered to buy us drinks which was cool.
Oh- and I sat across the isle from Matt Bullard and his girlfriend?/wife? at a KISS concert about 4 years ago at the summit. Funny seeing a big guy like him jaming to KISS.
My brother-in-law Danny is a graphic designer for a company that prints cool T-shirts (wish I could remember the company name now, free advertisement and all that, but oh well) and got to meet Steve, Cat, Bullard, Cynthia Cooper (OK, Rockets, Comets, whatever), and others... ...so Danny got us nice tickets through these connections and I got to meet Coop and Bullard. Bullard saw my brother-in-law, walked right up to him, first thing he did was shake my hand (I hadn't said a word yet). Really nice guy. Bull knew we had scammed even better seats (courtside) and looked over at us from the bench about halfway through the game and started laughing and shaking his head (hey, we weren't gonna move since the tickeholders never showed up).
Back when Drexler was still coaching at UH he walked into Houston's on Richmond & Fountainview with his kids right as we were being seated. Surely enough Jerry Sloan was sitting at the table next to us since the Jazz were in town so when I went back to close my bar tab I let him know where Jerry was at. He went over and talked to Jerry while I was paying out and when I sat down the other members of my party told me how cool it was that Clyde and Jerry exchanged pleasantries. I then let them know I directed Clyde in that direction. I've gotten Olajuwon's autograph, but I wouldn't really call that meeting him since I was shuffled out of the line really quickly. Come to think of it the only person who I chatted with while getting their autograph was Barry Sanders and I must say that guy rocked.
The three former Rockets I've met: Kenny Smith- I met him when I went into his store that he used to have in First Colony mall. He caught me, I was like 10 yeas old, looking at shot glasses. He was very nice and me & him joked around for a while. Brent Price- I was at a TCBY and him and his girlfriend/wife (not sure) came in. Very nice guy but in kind of a cranky mood cuz he was late for a movie. Sam Mack- I went to an autograph session a couple of years ago where it was him and Mario Elie. I originally went to see Mario but the line was REALLY long, so I went to Sam. He was real nice and seemed real down to earth. All three of them were very nice and acted like all professional athletes should when in public.
Went out drinking with Barkley, Bullard, Maloney, back in training camp in Austin just before Barkley's career ended. Had alot of fun. Charles dropped like 16 g's in the Copper Tank and everybody there drank for free the whole night. Bull, and Maloney, left early to go to the Yellow Rose. While Barkley hung around. Really nice guy, not at all what I expected. Bull and Maloney were also very nice. Maloney wanted to talk about the golfing in Kingwood, and Bull stuck to music. All in all, It was one of the best nights I've ever had. Not to mention the fact that Charles and I were busted for pissing in the ally on the other side of six street. No tickets, just a warning.
Met: Cassell -at Grocery store the night after they won the championship Horry - Blockbuster video the night after they won the championship Hakeem- we talked a little while about cars(NSX) he wanted to buy one, both of us were pumping gas, this was early in the season before hakeem first championship on 1994. Mario Elie- Met him at Roxy during the 95 finals, he was chilling enjoying the music was not behind security like the many of the )Orlando Majic team(did not met any of them, saw them only). Carl Herrera- Met him at Crystal Night Club. Pimpin the beautiful latina women on the dance floor. Calvin Murphy- met at a bowling ally, I got his lane after he was finished. I found his hand chalk bag after he left, Murph came back for it. Barkley- met a AMC 24, he was with family he was very nice. Sleepy Floyd- met him at Sweetwater country club while playing ball. Here, I was able to see him play against scrubs like us and he still had awesome skills all around (leaps and bounds better.)awesome Collier- met a Sam's Boat at the Fountains with is beautiful wife to be at the time. Mark Bryant- met a couple of times, he lives near me, always see him pimping in his black Hummer. Kenny Thomas met at Toke bar. Quiet, but working the girls. Met Rudy T early on(1986), while I attended grade school with his daughter Nicole. Jim Peterson- met him(1985). I think Rudy T set this up at the time for Jim to come speak at our school.
