Top 5 Greatest Players in Houston Rockets History

Top 5 of the best andscreams in Houston history Rockets

Hakeem Olaijuan and the others who impressed the most for the Rockets

Not a few people believe that the Houston Rockets won the National Basketball Association titles in large part due to the retirement of Michael Jordan, which stopped the dominance of the Chicago Bulls. The truth is, the Rockets have a rich history beyond playoff success, and they've always had classy, big-name basketball players who have left their mark on the league. In the following lines, we will recall the best five who have ever played with the team of the franchise, which was located in San Diego for the first four seasons before moving to Houston in 1971.

There's no way the Great Wall of China won't be on our list. Yes, it's about Yao Ming, who just because of his background is helping the NBA promote itself in the world's most populous country. The Chinese's contribution does not end there, of course. The center was part of Houston's team for 9 seasons, between 2002 and 2011, but frequent injuries prevented him from shining even more. Still, the 229-centimeter giant is an 8-time All-Star, was named to the 2002/03 All-Rookie Team, and remains only behind Amari Stoudemire as the league's top rookie. Also, the number with which he plays in the "Rockets" team, namely 11, has been suspended after his retirement from basketball. Yao's stats aren't among the best - 19 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.9 blocks per game average, but he is the greatest Asian player in NBA history and is key for Houston, so the fifth position suits him.

At number four, we'd put Alvin Hayes. The player was part of the franchise for the first four years of his career, which certainly gave an incredible direction to his career, which ended again with the Rockets in the years between 1981 and 1984. Selected number one in the draft in 1968. of the San Diego Rockets, Hayes is coming off an impressive debut season, averaging 28.4 points and 17.1 assists per game. He became the first and only rookie to become the NBA's regular season leading scorer. He has continued to improve his shooting over the years and is a true monster in the basket. Although he won his only title with the Washington Bullets, he left his most lasting mark in Houston, where he is second on the all-time rebounding list behind only Hakeem Olaijuan.

Even if he leaves in the summer of 2021, even if he doesn't start his career in Houston, we can't help but put James Harden in the top three. The 2017/2018 Regular Season Most Valuable Player is one of the most impressive players of our time. In each of his nine seasons, between 2013 and 2021, he was selected to the All-Star game and was part of the NBA team of the season six times. "The Beard" never got the dream ring he's now chasing with the Brooklyn Nets, but with nearly 30 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists per game in his career, he's more than valuable to the Rockets. Harden is truly revolutionizing the association with his smart game, step-back threes and the ability to score from any distance. His final season in Houston still leaves some bittersweetness among fans, some of whom may say he didn't seem like he was playing, but he definitely has a place in the top three of the best basketball players for the franchise.

At the foot of the top falls one of the most talented centers to ever play in the league, namely Moses Malone. He is a real dominator under the basket and reached his best years between 1976 and 1982, when he was part of the Houston Rockets. He won two regular-season MVP awards with the Rockets, but maintained his top form for one more season to capture a ring with Philadelphia in 1983, when he was MVP in both the Finals and the regular season. the campaign. Still, in six seasons in Houston, he averaged 24 points, 15 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.6 blocks and 0.9 steals per game. And in 1981, he managed to lead the team to the NBA Finals, although the team finished with a negative win-loss ratio in the regular season. Something no other team has done. And thanks mostly to the impressive Moses Malone.

The man we put in the first position is the man who remained in the shadow of Michael Jordan, but not only came out of it with a bang, but also made the Rockets champions in two consecutive years. It is about Hakeem Olaijuan. Yes, another center who dominated the league while Jordan was trying to play baseball. In the years between 1984 and 2001, the Lagos, Nigeria-born basketball player became a true legend in Houston. "The Dream," as he is nicknamed, is even considered one of the NBA's 10 greatest of all time. A player you couldn't ask for more. With an impressive 3.2 umbrellas per game average, he is a real terror for the opponent. This is the third best achievement, and his number of umbrellas puts him in second place on the all-time leaderboard. The "Dream" logically became the most valuable player in both finals that the Rockets won, participated in 12 all-star games, was selected to the team of the season 6 times, and in 1994 became the MVP of the regular season. On top of that, he's scoring 22.5 points, 11.4 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 2.5 assists per game. Complex yet flashy, Olaijuan turned the Rockets into a nightmare, and the NBA has had more than one great.

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