Les - This is what happens when you inherit back-to-back trophies and replace this: with this: We've never been the same since...
I don't wish for the man's death by any means, however I'm tired of watching him take a money bath as a result of having to endure mediocrity. Even with Yao we were never favored to win.
Please add my voice to the chorus requesting Les to sell the team. A fresh ownership and mindset would do everyone a lot of good.
A lot of stupid people in this thread. The only bad thing that Les has done lately is to not allow Morey to completely gut the team and give it a proper rebuild. Other than that, he's been willing to spend money and pay the luxury tax when it helps the team -- can't ask for more than that.
Bull****...cough cough.... Let's review. Les did spend money on draft picks, lots of it, that looks great, until you realize it was only a fraction of what insurance was paying for Yao and Tmac's contracts. Basically when they were injured, the Rockets were incredibly profitable due to insurance money added directly to the bottom line, some of which Les spent on low end draft choices. Les does NOT go into the Luxury tax, sure, he barely went in last year, again when he was getting about $15 million in insurance money for Yao's contract. Him willing to spend to win, is a myth....pure PR.... You get him and Morey up there saying they are going to be predatory (something I am sure went over well with other team's..lol)...and instead of being the predator, they end up running the prey. Le$ is a cheap owner, the team doesn't have it's own plane - the amenties are meh, and the players are treated like assets instead of feeling part of the family. Le$ Alexander got lucky by inheriting a championship team, and was smart enough to leave the management in place which led to many years of success etc.. But once he started to hire his own people, the wheels have started to fall off. DD
This. And he gave us pajamas and traded Hakeem to Toronto. Classy guy. I'll be happy when this stoner of an owner is gone.
Don't be stupid, DD. He spent money on draft picks. Lots of it. Trying to qualify it with insurance money is stupid. Why stop at insurance money? If Les' other businesses do extremely well in any given year, he should not be credited with spending money on his NBA team. Attendance: 2008- HOU 16th 2009- HOU 16th 2010- HOU 19th 2011- HOU 20th 2012- HOU 22nd I agree, he's been EXTREMELY profitable!!!! You said "he does NOT" go into luxury tax, then told me he went into it just last year. Again, stop being stupid. Why should he go into the luxury tax for an 8th seeded team? If the Rockets were contenders but needed to go into the luxury tax to get a player that will help them win it all, you honestly think Les wouldn't do it? Please. Not being in the luxury tax is not the reason we've had a crappy team for the last three years. Oh sorry "real Rocket fans".. I didn't mean crappy, I meant "darkhorse" that "fights every night" and "no one wants to see in the playoffs". (It's groundhogs day around here.) The only myth is your delusional idea that Les Alexander does not want to spend to win. Yeah, you're right, the Rockets have never been predatory -- especially when they took on Jared Jeffries contract to get the #16th pick in the 2012 draft. That definitely wasn't predatory. Or the time they took on Thabeet's contract to get a 1st rounder from Memphis -- definitely not predatory. You're soo right, DD. I know you haven't seen our amenities up close, nor those of other NBA teams, to be able to compare them, so I won't bother touching the rest of your nonsensical rant.
Hey Rockets fans! Guess what? We're gonna sign THIS GUY. He'll totally be worth watching and coming to games for. But wait, that's not all. We're going to talk a couple of former players, who are more interesting and still better shooters than our current roster, to come to an otherwise boring game against the Bucks and Bobcats which no one would ever waste their money on. You think the Rockets marketing department is done yet? Hell no. We're going to put Asian symbols on everything and milk this Dragic - Dragon thing for all its worth. God knows we're more popular in China than in the United States. And yup, you guessed it, we'll also target you by offering high priced seats for not much less than normal. We'll just make sure you get a hotdog in the process and we can call it Guys Night. Doesn't that sound fun? I know, it's glorious. And speaking of glorious, the Rockets marketing department wants you to know you have a caring, kind and generous leader. Les Alexander will sped a lot of money to make sure you have the best roster of all star level talent. Remember, Les isn't cheap. Les always spends money to win. A winning tradition that hasn't grinded to a halt since he took over and started implementing his own ways and hiring his own, talented management. Oh, and where do you think you're going? I wasn't finished. No no no. Rockets management has also got something BIG. We brought in famed player Kevin McHale, only three decades too late for him to be of any real use. That's right. Kevin McHale everybody. Rockets marketing wants to let you know that the tickets are not over-priced. No, not one bit. We even are so cool as to provide seats for enthusiastic fans who make lots of Rowdy Noise. Yup. And it's not because people aren't buying lower bowl tickets. No, it's because people aren't even buying upper bowl tickets. Ha ha. But seriously. Rockets owner Les Alexander totally cares and is a wonderful leader. The guy spent money on bringing in Earl Boykins everyone. Common, now that's talent. Success is often defined as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. And here in Houston, that's precisely our formula for success. Stick with us this coming year as we bring back Steve Francis. All star level talent from and owner who gives a s***.
Van Gundy thinks Les is a great owner I don't know what I think on this. The record speaks for itself, so I get the run Les out of town talk, but yesterday on 790's The Big Show Jeff Van Gundy went on and on about how much respect he had for the Rockets trying to stay competitive even when the are so stuck in the middle. I respect Jeff Van Gundy a lot. I love his candor and he style (lack thereof). I was living in NY when he was the Knicks coach and ever since then I've got nothing but respect for him I think he's smart and knows basketball. For him to say he thinks Les is to be commended as an owner is high praise in my book and I am inclined to listen to him. The truth is, we live in Houston Texas and Houston is a city most NBA stars don't want to play in. I love Houston, if I were a superstar athlete I couldn't wait to sign with the Rockets, but it seems unlikely Kobe or LeBron or Derrick (etc) are going to come to Houston to play as free agents. This isn't Les' fault. The NBA is broken because it rewards the terrible teams with high draft picks and punishes the middle of the pack teams that want to get over the hump but can't do it through free agency.
We need severe/immediate help on this team? Don't know if we will ever be back to 94/95. I see no light at the end of the tunnel for the Rockets
Le$, I will buy the Rockets and take them off your hands for $600, which I will get from Fostate once I get the 1268th and 3574th posts.
