When did you first start REALLY watching the Rockets?

I started watching in the 80-81 season, when the Roc's gave the Boston Celtics and Larry Bird all that they could handle in the NBA Finals.

 

First started watching in the mid 70's. It seems like I saw most of their games against Atlanta for some reason. I remember when the Rockets picked up Rick Berry and when Calvin broke the consecutive free throw record.

I remember getting really pissed after the Bullets won the NBA Championship with Big E and thinking that we would have won it if he were still a Rocket. I was twice as pissed when Moses Malone won the NBA Championship with the 76ers instead of the Rockets.

I really became a die-hard basketball fan during the Phi Shama Jama years of the U of H team. I couldn't wait for Dream and Clyde to join the Rockets. I held a major grudge against Rodney McCray for years because the Rockets drafted him over Clyde.

The most exiting time in Rockets history for me was after they drafted the Dream. They already had Sampson and just re-signed John Lucas. All that youth, fire and promise! And then after Sampson hit the Shot against the Lakers it seemed like all was right in the world and after they lost to the Celtics I moped around for a week.

Sampsons injuries and Lucas, Lloyed and Wiggins getting kicked out of the league for substance abuse I thought Dream would retire with out a championship. I just knew Houston was jinxed. But after we traded for Otis Thorpe to team with Dream I knew we would win a championship at some point.

Damn I didn't mean to ramble but to finish I am just as excited now as I was in 84 after the team drafted Dream.

 

I started watching a few games when then drafted Hakeem. I had never watched basketball before, but I had been aware of all the "Phi-Slamma-Jamma" hoopla when Clyde and Hakeem played at the U of H.

But I really started following the Rockets when they made Rudy the coach. I guess in this age of no-loyalty (from the owners or the players) "show me the money" sports, I was impressed that Rudy had spent his entire career with the Rockets. In any case, his first year was good enough to make me think that good things were ahead.

 

hmmmm, hard question for me, because REALLY watching is relative for me. As much as HS ball, NCAAs, and other NBA teams??? hmmmm.

I watched the Bulls on WGN and whatever the national broadcast had (mainly Celtics, Knicks, Lakers) since about 72. But didn't watch nearly as closely as NCAAs and Notre Dame and Indiana bball, though. My dad actually made me watch and keep notes for him when he couldn't make it home for the start of the games. Only times I got to watch TV on weekdays was when bball was on.

Watched our High School "REALLY" closely as a kid, too. Every kid did, and dreamed of player for the team.

I watched Walton's career, and followed the stars but didn't start watching the NBA REALLY closely until I moved to Houston in 81. Much easier to follow when you can see more games and more teams. I was an NBA w**** back then though. Went to the Army in 82-84 so again could only consume what they showed me. I watched everyone and found it really only necessary to take the Bird or Magic side of the NBA debate. But you couldn't not notice the Rockets. The army barracks had the twin tower debate on who the Rockets should draft. It was a big national argument. It was to take Jordan or Hakeem. In one of those moments where you pat yourself on the back for a good idea, it dawned on me that knowing the Bulls still pretty well, they would take Sampson for their #3 in a heartbeat. And I thought Hakeem was better, anyhow. I never liked Sampson schizophrenic "I don't want to be Jabbar, I wanna be a PG" mindset.

Anyhow, got back to Houston in Fall of '84 just in time for Akeem's debut, and scalped one game with my brother. Unbelievable!!

I still watched the Rice Owls more closely, being in school and all, but watched as much as I could, and all the playoffs. I guess I was a playoff watcher mainly, until after college.

like crash...didn't mean to ramble...but you know how nostalgia works.

So to answer the question, relative to how much I REALLY followed Indiana, Notre Dame and Illinois HS basketball growing up, I didn't start following the Rockets as closely as THAT until around the Chievous draft. d'oh!!! And now with cc.net and season tickets, I have to say I've never followed a team like this before.

 

When Clyde came to town!

 

I became an exclusively Houston fan Feb 24 1994. I had moved from Atlanta to Houston in '89 and started paying attention to the Rockets, but the Hawks were still my team. Over the years, I began to feel more of an allegiance with Houston than Atlanta, but in my heart I couldn't just switch teams like that. Then, on this black day, the Hawks commited a sin that caused me to forever wish nothing but failure and hardship on them. This was the day they shiped the greatest Hawk of all time - Dominique Wilkins- and a first round pick (just to rub salt in that fresh wound) for that scrub Danny Manning. I turned all my attention to the Rockets and never looked back.

 

I first started watching the NBA and thus the hometown Rockets in 80-81. But I was pretty young and it would be hard to classify me as real fan then.

My die-hard Rockets days got their roots in Akeem's UH days and then when he joined the Rockets I was hooked. I probably didn't start watching all of the games until the 86 season though. That was a busy year, 'cause that's when I became a real Astro's fan too.

That was a great year to be a sports fan in Houston.

--Drof

 

Moses Malone, Robert Reid and Calvin Murphy were my first heroes--hey, as a kid, even Reid becomes an idol. I remember the improbable run to meet the Celtics in the Finals in 80-81.

I also remember all the years Allen Leavell (sp?) kept on making the team. and Willoughby's (Kevin?) block of Jabbar's skyhook as the highlight of the dead years.

I kept the same now ratty old ballcap for 10 years and wore it on a cross country trip when the Rockets finally won the championship, on my birthday no less.

 

The first game I remember seeing was the 16th game of the 93-94 reg season when i believe we lost by like 22...and nique and kevin willis dominated us for our first loss of the season. I was almost 10.

 

I started watching Rockets when Hakeem was drafted. I slowly watched more and more till about 1992-1993. That was when I started paying attention to things besides just games. I had my ear to the radio when the rockets drafted some guy named Horry and went who? Been hooked ever since, but haven't been able to see many games in Austin.

 

Funny Jeff. I also started watching the Rockets in 1979 when I was ten. But I didn't go to Rudy T. basketball camp. I went to Robert Reid basketball camp at the Jewish Community Center. The game in the 1986 playoffs that they showed on ESPNClassic a few nights ago (you know, the Ralph Sampson shot) that was the night of my high-school graduation. I remember all of my friends jumping into my car so we could catch the second half on the tv.

 

My senior year of college, 1993.....I had attended the occasional game when I lived in Houston and watched them during 1986 Finals (man I hated Larry Bird that summer)....but one night in 1993 the Rockets were playing the Bulls on WGN...I had this fraternity brother who was a hardcore Jordan nut, so I bet him that the Rockets would beat the Bulls.

First time since 1986 I had watched a game all the way through, it was awesome..plus we won, and I won $250. Then I started watching a lot. Loved that playoff series vs. Seattle that went 7 games...too bad we lost.

 

I STARTED WATCHING THE ROCKETS RELIGOUSLY ..... PROBABLY LIKE HALF WAY THROUGH THE '92-'93 SEASON, WHEN THEY LOST TO THE SONICS IN THE PLAYOFFS.
LUCKILY ,FOR ME, THEY WON THE CHAMPIONSHIP THE NEXT SEASON. PERFECT TIMING HUH. WELL , I HAVE BEEN HOOKED EVER SINCE.

IT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE HOMETEAM AND HOW BAD ASS HAKEEM WAS.

 

I'm new to this BBS but not to the Rockets. Have been a BIG TIME Rocket fan ever since Moses Malone came to town. Now that was a big man. We've had two of the best centers to ever play the game. Might we see a third?

Have enjoyed reading the posts. Keep 'em coming!

 

Hmm.. The first game i saw was when i was in second grade.. i think i was 7 at the time.. Rudy T's son Trey(whom i remember being good friends with) was in my class (he was waaaaaaay taller than the rest of us) and becuase of him i watched my first basketball game. RT was an assistant back then and I actually got to meet him a couple of times...I only became a die hard fan after watching the first seattle series where Horry was a rookie and we lost in OT..I watched because my parents kept telling me Hakeem was muslim (like me) and that peaked my interest... I remember feeling that the game wasnt justified that we SHOULDA won.. and ever since then ive watched every game possible...Now im 18 about to start my second year at UT and am still a die hard Rockets fan...

 

the season of 94

 

79, 80? When they said Moses will lead us to the promised land. (Moses eventually led the Sixers to the promised land!)

I saw Calvin Murphy piled up his consecutive free throws made record. I saw Rudy in his twilight years as a player (an occasional 3 pt threat off the bench).

P.S. Rudy was a classy guy back then (still is ). I remember at one game with a few seconds left, we needed a 3 to either tie it or win it (don't remember exactly). The coach called on Rudy, who was at the end of the bench, for the shot. He was like "Who? Me?" Then he went out and took the shot with confidence. It missed. Later in the interview, he said the shot felt good when the ball left his hand. He didn't make any excuse, didn't blame the coach for calling the play for him when he was stone cold.

 

I start to pay more attention to the Rox because the arrival of Yao Ming..

 

I started watching in 1976-77. They year that John Lucas and Moses Malone
joined. Mike Dunlevy a year later. He was a good player.

I don't remember ever seeing Elvin Hayes. My big brother watched him.

Then, in the eighties...a new team was born...Akeem/Sampson.

Hey, do you any of you old-timers, like me , remember
Hanna Storm on 20 Vision?!!!!!