Morale has never been higher. Detroit just won the championship but I'm sure I'm happier than your average Piston fan right now. We're Houston, you're not.
Les Alexander blackmailed the city, refuses to put "Houston" on the unis, wanted (and still wants) to fire anyone who was associated with the organization before his era, and hides instead of being a man and doing his own dirty work. It is fortunate Mr. "Greatest Team Ever Assembled" leaves the basketball decisions to his basketball people. Perhaps if they are fortunate enough to get another top-tier head coach, they might become winners again...
i'll agree to this thread. kudos to les. remembering back to when he first became the owner, so much was put into him being a real fan of the game. being a fan you'll make moves like the barkley, pippen, francis, and griffin ones. yeah, if there's a hint of a sliver of hope of a getting a allstar caliber player or one with potential he'll go after it hoping that it'll all work chemistry wise, thought for the most part it hasn't. can't blame the guy for not trying. nice having a fan of basketball as an owner. with that being said, he better get this got darn trade to go through... otherwise i take back everything i just typed.
Well basketball wise he is a very good owner. He spends the money when he needs to and stays out of day to day operations of the club. You should be happy we dont have Chris Cohan or Donald Sterling.
This is probably the best Rockets post in the GARM I've ever read. I like how you mentioned the Eddie Griffin deal even though it backfired. It's like gambling. You have to bet big to win big. And sometimes you lose. And the Barkley trade was a great one. The Rockets beat seattle in the playoffs finally, something a team with Horry and Cassell had no chance of doing.
I've loved Les since he was here. He's a great owner, and he's made countless, big deals since he's been here. GREAT owner!
I was hearing the theme song to "The Graduate" And here's to you Mr. Alexander Jesus loves you more than you will knowLes is Jewish right? Where have you gone Hakeem Olajuwon? Our city turns its lonely eyes to you. What's that you say Mr. Alexander? Hakeem the Dream has left and gone away" (hey hey hey)
I'm glad Les stepped up and got the player that we wanted. But giving up SF, Mobley, and Cato for McGrady and Howard....along w/ Lue and Declerq or Gaines? Is it even?
I've never second guessed Les, CD, RT or JVG. Hindsight is 20x20. As far as loosening up the purse strings, I was disappointed we didn't pursue Larry Brown harder. But otherwise, the Rockets' management is not afraid to pull the trigger on a big deal.
Agreed, Will. More times than not, I whole-heartedly agree with the risks ownership has taken, as it is better to aspire to greatness than to be perennial first-round fodder. However, while I've been a management supporter for most of the last several years, for the last 11 months, it was difficult to believe in them, and I had been a vociferous critic as a result. To wit: *** Our franchise player has the worst year of his career immediately after signing a max contract, potentially crippling the franchise for years. Super Bowl incident triggers further worry about this decision. Letting Posey walk, then watching the subsequent rise of Memphis. Of the Rockets' three FA signings, two cause our team to play worse (I believe the +/- differentials bear this out), while JJ is a stopgap that will have to be replaced when the championship runs begin. Some of the unpleasant surprises regarding the new arena (fees, parking). Oakley. Ewing. (Don't want to derail topic, but I don't see real improvements in Yao attributable to coaching.) Eddie Griffin happens. (While it's hard to fault mgmt, rumors abound that we could have had comparable talent before the meltdown occurred, and given Griffin's warning signs last year, all the more painful.) The Glen Rice trade to Utah. Would we really get good value for the TE, expensively bought with draft picks and the eating of a deadweight contract? *** All of that changed today. Assuming we follow through with other signings that can occur with the exemptions, we are back on track in a big way, and I must say THANK YOU, Les & Co., for hope has returned to the Rockets courtesy of a gutsy decision given Francis' popularity in Houston (and with Yao). Even in the unlikely event the McGrady experiment results in utter failure over the next few years, one cannot find fault in rolling the dice with a young top 5 talent. Status quo was a nowhere road, imo. We fans should do our part this season to show our support for taking a chance and not settling for just "good". Unlike last year, I plan to attend games whenever I am in town.
People might not know that Les made his money trading securities and stocks if I am not mistaken. Takes risk since birth. Can't argue with results overall.
Les is a great owner, He has always tried his best to get a championship and he is a great fan. He has never wanted to move the team and did not use that as a threat to get the stadium. He is all about us winning a championship. He takes risks and makes moves, some good some bad, he listens and backs up his basketball guys. Can you imagine a Donald Sterling or some other bad owner here actually driving us fans beserk! Give Les all the Props
