for fun: whats the first rockets game you ever went to?

!968 when they were the San Diego Rockets. First row courtside. My wife worked for KBG Radio (home of the "Chicken") and we got free tickets all the time. Elvin Hayes, Elgin Baylor, saw 'em all...incredible memories.

I may be old but I'm still standing

D R

 

Yeah, I remember it used to be 120 points, but forgot what they gave away. Nice story Bruno.

 

For me it was the late 70's in Hofinze. Don't remember any details, but I do have some loose ends to tie up.

First off, yes it was chicken at 120 points. Mike Dunlavey (yes the future coach and father of a Warrior) was the one who often put us over the hump. You know, end of games, big lead, subs go in. Fans cheered for the sub (ala Boki, or Barrett more recently). Mike came to be known as the chicken man.

Second detail. The coupons were most likely rainbow bread. There were many deals back then as tickets were hard to sell. But Rainbow bread was a long running standard.

I used to work at the Summit selling tickets for a short while. Somebody may have snuck in a coupon or two, person buys two tickets at full price, lucky ticket seller with an extra coupon just got a few free beers. I still love Rainbow bread to today.

Funny I was in Milwaukee two weeks ago visiting my Uof H roommate and he brought up the bread coupons. Patti Smith says, paths that cross will cross again.

 

No idea, but it must have been sometime around 77 or 78.

 

Must have been 76 at the Summit. I think it was against the Bullets but which ever they won. Don't remember much about the game except Don Nelson (The Bullets?) was their coach and he was always half way onto the floor and wearing black tennis shoes.

Really weird what sticks in someones memory, no?

 

1991 against the Mav's. They use to battle us every year it seemed. We dominated this one however.

 

Can't remember the first, but I do remember going to a game where Moses Malone had something unreal like 50 points and 36 rebounds. I need to look that up to see if my memory is right.

 

Early 90's (91? 92?) last home game of the season vs. a HORRIBLE Mavs team. Rockets lost by a point or 2. Couldn't believe it.

 

Pat - The Rockets played in Hofheinz??!?!?! Seriously?? I had no idea.

 

March 15, 2003 - The last game at the Summit aka the Compaq Center. After watching the games on t.v. for about ten years, finally decided to go watch it live.

 

Since I'm an out-of-towner, and have never been to Houston, I obviously had to see my beloved Rox in another arena. Enter the F U Center in Philly (now the wachovia center, was the First Union Center). It was a great April day three years ago, Yao's rookie year. We had paid $30 to see the Last Home Opener for the Phillies at Vetren's stadium (Jim Thome's first game in Philly, huge standing O, they lost the the Pirates.......lol). Walked out of the lot to go get a cheese steak. I was so pumped that I had spent $50 for these tickets to see the 7'6" giant in person. We got in the stadium, and we had the TOP SEATS IN THE ARENA. Man I was so mad, $50.00 for that! I could tell Yao was taller than everyone else, but that was it. I paid $50 to watch a jumbo tron basically. Rudy T. wasn't coaching that game (he had just taken the time off to fight the bladder cancer), but we did get the inerum coach (I forget who it was) his first win. However Phoenix also won that night, and was just moving a step closer to getting the 8th seed that year. That was my first, and thus far, only live Rockets expierience.

 

1974, Hofheinze Pavillion.
Moved to Houston that year. Some of the Rockets' games drew very few fans. Hofheinze sat about 5k and I don't think it was full then.

I did not plan on going to the game. One night, I was wandering around campus, I remember walking up the hill to the ticket window (with maybe 1 or 2 people in line ahead of me). Found out with UH student ID, it cost $1 a ticket so I went in. Rudy T, Calvin Murphy were playing then but the one memory that still burns in my mind was Mike Newlin diving for the ball head first into the chairs on the side of the court, face and beard scrubbing the floor.

 

It was during the January 8, 1994 against the 76ers...

Carl Herrera would eat at my mom's restaurant almost every game day...

Since I worked there, me and him became cool and soon enough he hooked me up with some very good seats...

He even brought in alot of the players during that year... Kenny Smith, Matt Bullard...etc...

I have a hat autographed by pretty much everyone like...Sam Cassell, Robert Horry, Otis Thorpe, Mario Elie, Eric Riley, Carl Herrera, MOSES MALONE(was on 76ers at the time), Kenny Smith...

 

I dont remember who we were playing, but we got cool tickets for free from a cop who busted scalpers.

Oh, and they announced over the intercom that US troops had captured Manuel Noriega.

 

Fall of 1971 against the Sixers at AstroHall. I think it may have been their first pre-season game in Houston. Don't even remember the outcome of the game.

I was a HS basketball player; I was just stoked to have them in town.

I reckon that I've been to games in all their venues over the years except for Toyota Center.

 

Rockets vs Lakers exhibition game in Nashville in the late 80's or early 90's. I can't remember who won. I wasn't a fan of either team at the time.

 

probably around '86 against the bullets. i remember the days that the "buy one get one free" coupons were in the Houston Post regularly. i used to beg my parents to take us and my dad would take all 3 of us kids. little did they know, it started an addiction.

i also remember my sister saying "is it over yet?" at the end of the first quarter. i guess we were 6 or so though. i remember manute bol being REALLY tall and skinny.

the lowest scoring game at halftime i believe was the spurs game in december 2003...25-30. i went to this one and the one this year. both very painful but of course, we remember the outcome of this year's. tmac the miracle maker!!

i was at this game as well.

 

I moved to Houston in 74 also. Found a sales job. Lasted long enough to be taken to a couple of Rockets games at Hofheinz by my boss. That was when if you asked for the game time, they asked what time could you be there.

 

I was nine years old. It was Hakeem's rookie year. I didn't know anything about basketball. I didn't play. I never did. I don't remember who the Rockets played or who won. I just remember asking my dad, "Who's good?" and him pointing down at Hakeem and saying, "him." then again for Sampson. He didn't lie. I remember being in awe of them; particularly Hakeem. Dream is why I came to love basketball.

Also, I liked Sleepy Floyd because his name is Sleepy.

 

2002 Yao's first season.
A preseason match.I forget the detail but only that Yao scored 0.