[NBA.COM] My favorite team: 1982-83 Rockets, pride among the losing

Tb-Cain · Oct 12, 2010

...

And my favorite team remains the 1982-83 Rockets, who finished with a rock-bottom record of 14-68. Not for the way they played, but for the way they held their heads up along a difficult journey from October to April when, in the end, everyone in Houston was openly rooting for them to lose.

The Rockets were just two seasons removed from a surprising run to the 1981 NBA Finals that ended with a loss to Bird and the Celtics. But that run had been made on the back of two-time MVP Moses Malone, who became a free agent and eventually forced a trade to Philadelphia just a few weeks before the start of training camp. Houston got a No. 1 Draft pick and center Caldwell Jones, a defensive specialist who averaged just 7.9 points a game in a 17-year career in the ABA and NBA.

So the Rockets went from a dark horse contender with a puncher's chance in Malone to a no-hope, non-playoff team virtually overnight, especially when athletic small forward Robert Reid decided to retire to become a minister for his church.

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Nice little read on the 82-83 Rockets.

More here - http://www.nba.com/2010/news/features/fran_blinebury/10/12/favorite.team.83.rockets/?ls=iref:nbahpt1

DaDakota · Oct 12, 2010

I remember that team.

DD

tinman · Oct 12, 2010

Thanks great read 99er.

varuscelli · Oct 12, 2010

The first NBA/Rockets game I ever attended was that season. We lost (as I recall), but I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of actually being at a game.

Twas a tough, tough year (hard to get over losing Moses), but paved the way for a much brighter future.

RocketRaccoon · Oct 12, 2010

If you lived through that, and the 90s glory years, everything else should be gravy. Right? right?

magnetik · Oct 12, 2010

man.. Sampson and the Dream... what could have been.

varuscelli · Oct 12, 2010

RocketRaccoon said:

If you lived through that, and the 90s glory years, everything else should be gravy. Right? right?
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Some of us leaned rather heavily on Phi Slama Jama to carry us through those couple of lean years...

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[NBA.COM] My favorite team: 1982-83 Rockets, pride among the losing

Tb-Cain Member

DaDakota If you want to know, just ask!

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[NBA.COM] My favorite team: 1982-83 Rockets, pride among the losing

Tb-Cain Member

DaDakota If you want to know, just ask!

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varuscelli Contributing Member

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