Robert Horry Acquisition

From San Diego to Houston: A legacy of championships and innovation.

The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, competing in the NBA's Western Conference Southwest Division. They play home games at Toyota Center in Downtown Houston.

Quick Facts

Character: Role Player; Sixth Man
Acquisition method: Free Agency
Status: Franchise Legend

Lore & Background

The Rockets were established in 1967 as the San Diego Rockets, an expansion team. They relocated to Houston in 1971. The franchise has won two NBA championships and four Western Conference titles.

Reader's Guide

The Rockets won only 15 games in their debut season. In 1968, they selected Elvin Hayes with the first overall pick, leading to their first playoff appearance. After years of losing records, they traded for Moses Malone in 1976–77, reaching the Eastern Conference finals. In 1981, led by Malone, they reached their first NBA Finals, losing to the Boston Celtics.

In 1984, they drafted Hakeem Olajuwon first overall. Paired with Ralph Sampson as the 'Twin Towers', they reached the 1986 NBA Finals, again losing to Boston. Under coach Rudy Tomjanovich, Olajuwon led the team to the 1994 championship and a repeat in 1995 with Clyde Drexler. After acquiring Charles Barkley in 1996, they could not advance past the Western Conference finals.

The early 2000s featured Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming, but playoff success was limited by injuries. James Harden's acquisition in 2012 brought two Western Conference finals appearances, both losses to the Golden State Warriors. After Harden was traded in 2020–21, the team entered a rebuilding period.

Did You Know?

Moses Malone, Hakeem Olajuwon, and James Harden have won a total of four MVP awards while playing for the Rockets.
The Rockets popularized the use of advanced statistical analytics under general manager Daryl Morey.
The team's first win in franchise history was a 121–114 road victory against the Seattle SuperSonics.