I was an Akeem fan before I was a Rockets fan. I grew up in NYC but didn't have cable so I never watched the Knicks, and my family wasn't into sports, so there was no pressure there. I just watched the allstar game one year when I was maybe 8 or 9 ('88 or '89), saw Akeem for the first time, and was just hooked; the guy floored me. I was always about 4" taller than the other kids in my grade so I was pretty sure I was going to be an NBA center too, so I just tried to play like Dream. I slowly got into the rest of the Rockets. Then I started the rebellious teenage thing a few years early, around '91. Everyone else was a Knicks fan, so **** that, I was a Rockets fan. I dug in, got ardent about it. Pretty soon it was real.
I'm half Chinese, so was automatically excited about Yao Ming coming into the league. At the same, time I was also a huge T-mac fan. When news broke out that T-mac was going to be traded to Houston, the Rockets automatically became my favorite team with my 2 favorite players playing together. My heart broke everytime one of them got injured. The T-mac-Yao era passed, but my thirst to see the Rockets succeed hasn't. Remained a big fan even though the 2 are gone.
I've been following the rockets since 94-95, coincidentally when I started following the NBA harcore and reading those NBA Almanac stat sheets at the library, I'm just an NBA junkie/fan. I did not become a "fan" though until the 2009 playoffs when the underdog rockets took LA to 7 games after Yao went down. Lowry, Landry, Scola, Brooks, Hayes made me a fan of these Rockets. I live in the Bay Area by the way, and you guys don't know bad franchises, bad ownership, bad GM's, bad drafts until you've had the Warriors.
I first SAW a Rockets game during 1994-1995. I don't even remember who they were playing, but I remember seeing Hakeem and going "HOLY CRAP THIS IS BASKETBALL?" Wasn't a true Rockets fan at that point, just a Hakeem fan. I started watching a little Rockets much later, during the Cato/Francis/Mobley era. Was a fan of Francis, but again still not a Rockets fan. Watched them for two seasons, then we got Yao, and after we played the Lakers that first time and I saw the dish from Francis to Yao for the "game-winning" dunk with Rudy T celebrating on the sidelines, I became a full-blown Rockets fan. In truth I love the last few years of the Rockets because the team has always been an underdog and just gotten by on complete and utter grit. The 7 games against the Lakers with Yao out and Brooks going bonkers is something I'll never forget, ever.
Born to it, but came to know the Rockets when Hakeem played with goggles. I thought those googles were part of his body.
Since I was little staying up late watching the games on channel 54 with the volume turned down so my parents didn't know I was awake
When Royce White was drafted #16. Haven't watched the NBA since Jordan and have been waiting for a reason to watch and a favorite team to root for.
When the San Diego Rockets drafted the Big E. 1968. I had to wait three years before the Rockets became the Houston Rockets.
Can't remember which year, but it was during the TMac/Yao Era. probably 06/07. First, I was just a Yao fan, then started to like the rest of the Rockets.
I became a Rocket fan the day Drexler was traded to Portland. Born and raised in Michigan, I always rooted against the home team. The only Michgan team I like are the Wolverines and that's because its my alma mater. It was a perfect storm that lead me to being a Blazers fan back then. The Pistons played the Blazers in the Finals in 90 and just a few months earlier my aunt bought me a Clyde Drexler card for my 7th birthday. That was enough for me to be a Blazers fan, but in reality i was more a Drexler fan. Still too young to fully appreciate the game I was more attached to Drexler then I was to Portland. I liked guys like Robinson and Porter but never on the same level as I did our supporting cast of guys like Horry, Cassell, Elie.... etc. So by the time Drexler was traded in 95 to Houston I decided to follow him and become a Rocket fan and I have been one ever since. Funny though, Drexler was the reason I became a Rocket fan, but by the time the 95 Finals had ended I became a bigger Olajuwon fan and he remains my favorite player of all time to this day.
Prior to being a die hard rocket fan. I was a Jordan and glen rice fan. Than I became a Yao and eventually mcgrady fan. Im currently hooked on the rockets organization for the proximity and te organization keeps me wanting more. Daryl Morey is the greatest GM I've ever seen. Even when we have losing records Morey keeps me entertained throughout the offseason summer league, draft picks, Dleague, and trades. Hardest working GM in the league. He has been in every superstar trade rumor.
Was a heavy Bulls fan when I was a kid. Basically because thats all my dad talked about. Chicago this and that. Cubs, Bears and Bulls and for some reason I didnt understand as a kid, not the White Soxs. /shrug Anyway, joined the military and lost track of all sports until I got shore duty. Co-worker was Kobe this and Kobe that and so I had to pick my defense. Being Filipino I was automatically drawn to Yao Ming. Being a Kobe hater I was also drawn to Tmac. It was a perfect combo. This was in 2003ish. After I got out the military, I would have to say the Rockets were a part of my decision into moving to Houston and I've been following strongly since.
during the middle of the 22-win streak in 2009. I was a Heat fan before that. I knew Yao had gone down but the Rockets kept on winning. I asked a friend, "How do they keep on winning?" "TMac has taken over." And that's when I started to follow the Rockets. I identify with their blue-collar no-excuses mentality.
