This will be a great rivalry. So will GS, and so will LA. I am extremely excited for the season, but I guess the summer league will do for now
Just make sure after our home wins against the Lakers we tease the Laker fans out of the building again. They are not going to run our arena like they have in past years. The big boy pants game at TC this year was epic. Lakers fans got shamed for wearing their precious Purple and Gold.
Rockets have historically been good at knocking out the Lakers. Nobody is suggesting they are more of a rival then the Celtics...that is the NBA's main rivalry. Every year during the playoffs they show Sampson hitting the shot against the Lakers. The real Lakers fans remember those knockouts (80, 86..some in 90's) and get a little annoyed with Houston. What fans are you talking about in LA because LA fans in general aren't good fans and hence they don't have a football team. Yes, Lakers get good crowds because they win and win and win and win but again, its no Philly, Boston, Chicago, NY, or even Dallas for that matter. Right now, Rocket's fans are saying to Lakers fans, "Lakers tell me how my *** tastes (ala Shaq to Kobe)?" As Gene Peterson would say, "How sweet it is".
Well obviously. And the Lakers have real rivalries as well. But what I meant was, listen to a White Sox broadcast of a CHI vs NY game and you'll get the impression that the Yankees and White Sox have a rivalry.
I have a lot of friends that are Laker fans. They don't really hate the Rockets at all. Most of them respect them. The 80s were overshadowed by the Celtics-rivalry so the Malone/Sampson stuff doesn't really have much resonance here. The Dwight signing will have much more resonance since it directly took them from contenders (fake?) to crap while elevating us to contender status. They WILL hate the Rockets when we sweep them in the first round en route to the Finals!
I don't think LA fans consider Houston rivals. 1st round series don't really matter much in the grand scheme of things. Rockets fans think that LA Lakers fans hate Houston, when in reality that's not really the case.
I'll take a Dwightless, Harden-led team over a Melo-led, Kupchek-built team ANY day. Side note, Dwight won't be injured, he'll be dominant, but it's Hardens team.
In Los Angeles. they don't. Here? We do. And its because we hate the bandwagon Laker fans that exist in this city. How can you be from Houston, and root for the Lakers, Cowgirls, and yet still claim the Stros when they're winning is beyond me.
this. both teams were competitive for howard. both teams were bottom half playoff teams in the west and will most likely be top 4 teams this next year. both teams shoot the daylight out of the ball. all 4 games were blowout-ish this past season one way or another.
I'm not sure who i hate more. Lakers fans or Jazz fans. Probably a tie for 1a. Mavs fans are 1b. Don't hate anyone else though.
We also have a rivalry against the golden state warriors. It's not really a big rivalry but it sure felt like it this past season, all those games were exciting! One more 3!!!!! One more 3!!!!! One more 3!!!!! Whamp whamp whamp. Foul ruined it
No rivalries with any team. Just play the best game that the Rockets can play. Improve game after game, and we will be the next NBA champion.
I'm looking forward to beating up on some REAL rivals. Teams that have fans that HATE our team. Like beating up on the Jazz for a year (but they are reloading quickly!) hopefully finally just sweeping and dominating the Mavs, and FINALLY competing with the Spurs so that people here will learn to hate the Spurs instead of look up admire and root for them.
i personally do not think that there is a rivalry. And little chance of one in the next half decade. Hard to have a rivalry with a team you abuse.
Can't stand Lakers fans, so it's always fun to beat up on them, but the Lakers themselves, as constructed, don't seem like any kind of threat this season. It will be funny to watch the reception Dwight gets in LA.
