LEGENDARY Kelvin Cato $42 million preseason game...

I thought Kato was a great backup to Yao. That was his best role

 

the worst part of the contract was the length. the annual salary was on par with other bad contracts we had at the time like rice and taylor and later weatherspoon and howard.

at the time of the tmac trade cato was our 5th best player by VORP and WS. mo taylor's contract was considered the worst on the team along with maloney's, followed by weatherspoon and howard after the trade.

cato nearly grew into his contract towards the end while taylor declined each year as his salary kept rising and, although on a lesser contract, maloney was paid a starter's salary for years while not even playing.

cato's contract was more shocking due to the total dollars over 6 years plus earning that after 1 good preseason game, but in the end wasn't the worst we've had on this team thanks in large part to him improving each year. the same cannot be said for guys like taylor, maloney, swift (which we got out of quickly) etc... who declined each year after earning their money.

 

Good for Cato man.

Got his money and Hopefully was smart with it and still has a lot of it.

Rockets are the best team in the nba. I couldn’t care less what kind of contracts were given out in 1999 or whatever year that was.

Get your money player can’t hate on a man for taking the money when it’s being offered.

 

I remember that signing. Cato was the final piece of a good young team all signed to long term contracts.

The Frances and Mobley back court was the center piece with Moochie Norris (think Pat Beverly level player) created depth and a ack court was set forever! Mo Taylor and now Cato were physical, athletic, all around talented, young bigs. Don't remember the SF, maybe Shandon Anderson {high profile free agent signing of another young all around talent)? That team was supposed to grow together to greatness. Expectations were high.....for about 5 minutes!

Cat had moments, but with hind sight that entire team was way over rated. It illustrate the poor player evaluation talents of the people in charge. And they they doubled down on that hand with long term contracts.

I guess the brain trust back then was Dawson and Rudy. Strangely, I still like both.

 

For me that game was the first time I saw Dream look old and out of shape, looked like he added a gut over the offseason. Or maybe it's those ugly uniforms...

 

42 Million? For How Long? - Ryan Anderson

Rocket River

 

Actually I liked him as the ENFORCER PF beside Yao

That team was better than the sum of its parts
We went and got a better part but was never a better team after . . . that trade

Rocket River

 

I thought Les gave him the money because Kelvin offered to give him a ride in his purple Navigator whenever he wanted.

 

Yeah, Rudy and CD were good guys. They were good coaches and very loyal to the team. CD was instrumental in developing big men. They were just poor GM's.

That's why I've been saying for years why the conventional wisdom of insisting on using former players as GM is dumb. Playing basketball and building a basketball team require two very different skill sets.

 

Really?

 

IIRC it was a preseason game where Kelvin "keep gettin' them checks" Cato had like 12 blocks, the majority of them against an overweight Shawn Kemp.
Then Rudy and Carroll said "quick we've got to sign him before someone else offers him $50 million"!

 

It’s just like Jeremy Lin getting all that money off a couple good games. Smh

 

That's not the game OP requested, btw. It was a preseason triple-double vs Cleveland ... ft. 12 blocks.

 

Remember how many dunks that guy missed...

 

I remember that pre-season game so vividly. To Cato's defense, I do remember he had one more really great game against the Lakers and Shaq later that season. It was a close game at the end and there were two plays in a row when Shaq posted him up and went up for a hook shot and Cato blocked and caught both attempts in mid air. Bryce Drew hit a floater over Shaq late to put the game away.

 

Correct. I was at that game. It was my birthday, albeit I was also a 1st-yr, season-ticket holder.

Just realized, I must have registered my HP login a week after that game. Probably not due to Cato, though. I didn't post all summer and lost account details to my first one, batseye.

 

Ugh...you miss the days of Steve and Cat dribbling the ball at the top of the key while the other 4 guys stood around watching until the shot clock hit 5?

Don't miss those days at all...liked the players but that was some ugly basketball

 

I think he still lives here in Houston. Use to stay around enclave and Eldridge area.