Fellow Rocket Fans - take a step back and relax...

Guys, - well the ones thinking everything's always roses with our previous franchise stars.... We're not even at the level Hakeem reached (yet?). And there needs to be a more recent history thread because - yeah... as a rockets fan it's not ever been easy - I mean there was a thread yesterday that turned into trying to diminish Hakeem's 94 season - like seriously?? - that run was absolutely insane, and the chemistry they had, unreal - that team will always be special but Hakeem was the only actual star - and they went through some truly tough teams w/ multiple stars (and no, this thread isn't about anyone repeating that feat - unless you clone Hakeem, like seriously, not happening).

Anyway... before that 94 team got there Hakeem basically said - get me the hell out of this mess/demanded trade and told previous rockets management I'm done - there's more in the link and actual quotes (at least read that much for context if you're new). Of course the tensions were high and if social media was around.... Yeah - I think there'd have been even better quotes and a **** ton more drama - anyway, actual quotes from the Dream:

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-03-31-sp-231-story.html



You fans (that forgot the train wrecks/bumps Or started watching basketball after this) - gotta know there's a lot of franchises that this becomes a major turning point, is tilman up to the task (let's skip that one)... But I have some hope with Stone/Silas.

And don't take this as me stating hakeem ever took the same path as harden or that harden is at hakeem's level (Harden's amazing, but he's not Hakeem), or harden will fix this and it's for sure fine - But if the internet/social media were around like now...- I think these quotes would have been more detrimental - and then this board would have imploded. Like the media would have blown it up on their Twitter accounts/multiple sites/talking head shows where everyone eats it up indefinitely. - watch a movie or old sports clips / real sports history - the shows around now are purely entertainment/shock value

Seriously though, just because everyone has a social platform/makes up rumors on a yt channel or anywhere really - doesn't mean it's coming (confirmation bias is bananas right now - like everywhere - not just Rockets drama). So Until I see the trade/missed games /Harden taking his shoes off during a real game (Rodman on the Spurs, I still think this is great... During 95 WCFs to Rockets - no, he wasn't their franchise player, but wow)/getting surgery without proper team input (yeah, T-MAC did that... )/Francis going to a super bowl (well I don't know if this was cleared up - but missed a flight and not for real personal reasons - and suspended a game). I've got more examples..... I'm not even touching the cocaine mess of the 1980s rockets but have at it -
https://grantland.com/features/an-oral-history-hakeem-olajuwon-ralph-sampson-1980s-houston-rockets/



And again, I'm not comparing Hakeem/Harden but I think this board would have been on fire back then - this franchise has never been fun all the time - yeah I still watched a lot of BAD years, and that's why when you guys experience one (the younger guys experiencing a first real time Rockets chip, it's worth the journey). And seriously, don't think I'm some harden fan - the amount of time I've invested in this team is a ton longer than when I finally decided to make an account (yes, I'd be a 99er or hell dialing into a real BBS - pre main internet...) - I'm just saying 2 years left on his contract - there's no rush here. This either works or doesn't - the Rockets will still be here and I'm sure someone will start the thread - fire silas/stone /I quit /good bye / my 9 year old kid brother stole my account etc etc etc

I mean some of you act like harden is moving the whole team back to San Diego or better yet, Les seriously almost pulling it off to Louisville.

I mean guys there's a lot more drama out there and we're not there yet. Harden is in shape, I don't know why that's still a thing, but whatever floats your boat.



Tl;Dr go learn some more history on this franchise /revisit some nostalgia of the better times, it's a tough ride. And don't get me wrong, do I think everything is great now? - no, but last time I checked - the Rockets still play in Houston and basketball is a great sport.

And please - this isn't targeted at anyone, the reason I'm even here is there is some great insight/critique/discussion, I just think sometimes things fly off the rails a little fast - then again I know not everyone got to see hakeem play in person at the Summit so I might be more frustrated if I were in a few of your shoes. I am a little envious though of anyone who got to see Rudy/Moses and several of the other star players play in person (before hakeem).

Anyway, it'll be fine, believe me and if it's not... Well that's houston sports, haha. I'm still glad I'm from Houston though.

 

This, like 92-93 was more heartbreak but it was a different kind and a hell of a lot better than previous years and gave hope, and then that 93-94 run, I honestly don't think anyone, not even the Sonics (but seriously, thank you, Mutombo and Denver)/Jordan (if he were playing that year) were going to stop them.

 

Yeah, man, I definitely wrote a long post and sorry on that - so I tried to bold a few more important things that had to happen 1st for Hakeem to start becoming who the franchise needed/other points - as well as links to articles better than my post about the hardships/some of the journey.

I basically was trying to avoid this revisionist history - that people forget/didn't see. There's a lot more to this than even my long post, but I look back on that 93-94 run, and it was absolutely amazing, and made it worth going through the whole process/heartache. Like Hakeem was very close to being gone was the whole point, and that whole journey he took allowed him to become who the team needed.

I honestly don't think I'll ever see a performance/display put on like that again, and that's what truly makes him and Clutch City so special.