Just curious as to what is everyone's best story where they meet Rockets players, and please nothing like "woke up and had breakfast with Bill Worrel after he got done banging my mom". As a kid, I lived next to some guy that was close friends with the guy who owned Smoothie King. He took me to a Rockets game (my first), and that would have been enough for some 10 year old kid. However, after the game, the Smoothie King snuck me backstage where I got to meet all the role players--Bull, Maloney, Elie. Ralph Sampson chilled in the hallway, but it looked like he was working security, probably because he needed the money. Again, I loved the Rockets so much at the time so I could have crapped my pants just meeting Charles Jones, but the Smoothie King then takes me to the player's parking lot where we wait for the Big 3. Barkley rolls out and as I go up to him he tells me "f*** off". As I start turning around, ready to cry my eyes out, Hakeem steps out, like Aslan from Narnia, with reporters surrounding him and makes my life (at that point) by signing my game program and giving me a water bottle. Case in point: Barkley never winning a championship is a good consolation prize for the 1996-1997 season.
I met Kenny Smith at the YMCA here in South Carolina. He was posting a basketball camp here that weekend.
I have met Rockets on many occations.<p> I met the whole '85 Rockets team when I was in the 1st grade. Hakeem, Ralph, Peterson, Lucas(whom I met a couple of times, I went to his B-Ball camp), etc..<P>I met Horry in '96 when I was awarded a scholarship from the Rockets.<p>I used to see Mad max and Cassell all the time at Fonde Rec.
I met Carl Herrera and Vernon Maxwell at the rodeo once. Also i met Tracy McGrady at Chachos. He smiled and pointed the gun sign at me . Did Barkley really treat you that way??
Not a Rockets player, but Peja Stojakovic (with family) was in the security line just behind me at Munich airport a couple of weeks ago. He's about an inch taller than I am.
not a player, but the best time i had meeting someone from the rockets was getting to talk basketball for a full 15 minutes alone with DM. after a game in jersey i was waiting to get pics with the players outside of the locker room. my friend and i were the only fans there. everyone else was a team or arena employee. all of a sudden i notice DM. he walked right up to the locker room door and was waiting there right next to me. we chatted until all of the players and coaches were out of the locker room and on the bus to head to the next city. not often do you meet the guy in charge of roster moves for your favorite team. even less often do you have 15 uninterrupted minutes of one on one time.
Met battier, cbud, anderson, and jefferies at a bar about a month ago. Saw shane and matt shaub a few weeks after that at the same bar.
I see the Rockets players out all the time...just did shots with CBud a few weeks back at Red Room. If you go out a lot in Houston, you'll run into your fair share of athletes. My best story was when Hakeem was buying some Persian rugs from my uncle...they became friends and he'd go over to my uncles for dinner on a few occasions, so I got to hang with the dream quite a bit...this is around the time when Bill Cartwright broke Hakeem's face and we went on that tear to end the season.
After Hurricane Ike, I was on the first flight from Chicago back to Houston, which connected through Charlotte. On the Charlotte-to-Houston leg, Steve Francis and his whole family was on the flight with me. He sat right in front of me. I have a photo somewhere. I'll post it later.
Dream and Clyde when I was at UoH, but I did speak to Hakeem again circa 1990. I talked to Rudy when he was an asst. coach and then when he took the job after Chaney, but never when he was a player. He was in Griff's often back then.
i met sam cassel at the court a month ago(chimney rock) he was getting his sticker but ofcourse didnt wait inline the lady just called him up :grin: . i also met clearance weatherspoon , he parked his car at my valet parking.
Nothing crazy, I served Tmac his salad at Chilis in Sugarland. I sat behind Hakeem and Drexler when they were honored courtside after they retired his jersey i think. Some guys had to leave in like the 2nd quarter and gave me and my friend his tickets, I was like 11 or something.
Jason Collier at IHOP with his family Cat Mobley at Bennigan's or something similar after a game against the Jailblazers with Quitten Robert Reid when I was part of halftime at a celebrity basketball game Otis Thorpe at his house Pippen and Robert Horry on a bus of celebrities after the Dunk Contest this past year hahaha
6 or so years ago I got invited to volunteer for this Superbowl week event (linked below) which was honoring Houston's top athletes and I was asked to walk one of them from the front red carpet type entrance to their proper path inside Reliant Arena where the honored guests were to learn the gameplan/practice their role for the event... http://www.click2houston.com/sports/2794219/detail.html I ended up getting to visit and bring Rudy T and his wife around to their spots. It was a great evening and got to small talk for about 20 to 30 minutes, so long ago can't remember all that was said .
Yao Ming outside of the player's garage at Toyota Center. T-Mac at Walgreens on Sweetwater in Sugar Land. Calvin Murphy at Clements Highschool while skipping study block. Kenny Smith at Intercontinental Airport. Charles Jones at the rec center near Bay Area Blvd in Clear Lake.
Ran into Clyde at Memorial Park. He accepted our offer to play some tennis. He said Reece Gaines had a lot of talent and needed more playing time.
