The last time I was this excited to be a Rockets fan was when . . .

This trade makes me drunk with happiness. There have been more triumphant moments in Rockets history, 94 and 95, of course, but this could take the crown for a feeling of EXCITEMENT. Specifically, a feeling of unlimited potential.

When's the last time you were this excited to be a Rockets fan? Or, more precisely, when's the last time you felt so good about what our future holds?

For me, here are the ones that come close:

1) The day we got Barkley. I was sure that Charles would put us over the top. And he almost did.

2) The day we got Pippen. Hindsight's 20/20, but we were all pretty damn revved up when Scottie came to town. He was still just in his early 30's, was coming off a championship, and seemed to be the perfect athletic complement to our old workhorses.

3) The night Yao went off on Dallas. For me, this night was even bigger than the night we drafted him. It was the first time we really, really got a glimpse of what he could mean, long-term, to our franchise. Even though we lost that game, I view that as one of the most important games in the past several years.

There are others. When we drafted Hakeem, when we got Franchise, the Valentines day deal for The Glyde, etc, but something stands out about this one:

Of all the above, this arguably has the most long-term potential. Barkley was on his last legs. Same with Pippen. And while Drexler is my favorite Rocket of all-time, we always knew he was only good for 4 or 5 years. McGrady, though, is a likely HoF player and is not yet even in his prime.

On any RollerCoaster ride, the slow, creaking, anticipation of the climb up is often more fun than the plunge at the top. Because of this trade's potential, this could be the most excited I've ever been as a Rockets fan.

Where does this rank for you?