60 Fun Facts About Houston Rockets

What is the name of the Rockets' downtown Houston arena, opened in 2003?

They spent 28 seasons at The Summit, later renamed the Compaq Center, before moving.

In which city was the Rockets franchise founded in 1967?

The name honoured the city's 'city in motion' theme and General Dynamics' Atlas rocket program.

Which future Hall of Fame coach was the San Diego Rockets' first-ever draft pick in 1967?

Riley played three seasons for the Rockets before his coaching career.

How many games did the expansion Rockets lose in 1967–68, then an NBA record?

They won 15 games and then won a coin toss with Baltimore for the top pick.

Which University of Houston star did the Rockets take first overall in 1968 after winning a coin toss?

'The Big E' led them to their first playoff berth as a rookie and was traded to the Bullets in 1972 after clashing with coach Tex Winter.

For how much did Texas Sports Investments buy the Rockets and move them to Houston in 1971?

They became the first NBA team in Texas; a previous Houston expansion group had folded in 1970 after failing to make a $750,000 down payment.

Which small Texas city hosted a Rockets 'home' game in their first Houston season, drawing 759 fans?

They played all over the state, and even back in San Diego, to try to build a fan base.

Which centre, acquired from the ABA in 1976, gave the Rockets their first winning season and won two MVPs?

'The Chairman of the Boards' was traded to Philadelphia in 1982 when the regional economy tanked.

Which Lakers player's 1977 punch left the Rockets' captain with facial fractures and months of rehab?

Tomjanovich later coached the Rockets to both championships.

With what losing record did the Rockets reach the 1981 NBA Finals?

They beat the Lakers, Spurs and Kings before losing to Boston in six.

Which family, later owners of the Sacramento Kings, owned the Rockets from 1979 to 1982?

George Maloof bought the team for $9 million; his 24-year-old son Gavin ran it after his death.

Which two centres, drafted first overall in 1983 and 1984, formed the Rockets' 'Twin Towers'?

They reached the 1986 Finals; Sampson was traded to Golden State just 18 months later.

The Rockets' 1986 West finals win over Los Angeles was notable as what?

Boston then beat Houston in six in the Finals; K. C. Jones called the Rockets 'the new monsters on the block'.

Which former Rockets player took over as head coach midway through 1991–92 and won two titles?

'Rudy T' coached until 2003, when bladder cancer forced him to step down.

How many games did the Rockets win to open the 1993–94 season, tying an NBA record?

They finished 58–24, then a franchise record, and Olajuwon won MVP and Defensive Player of the Year.

What did local papers nickname Houston after the Rockets blew big leads in Games 1 and 2 against Phoenix in 1994?

The Rockets won the series in seven and 'Choke City' became 'Clutch City'.

Which team did the Rockets beat in seven games in the 1994 NBA Finals for their first championship?

New York led 3–2 before Houston won the final two at home; Olajuwon was Finals MVP.

Which former college teammate of Hakeem Olajuwon was acquired from Portland in 1995?

The 'Phi Slama Jama' reunion helped a sixth seed beat the West's top three seeds and sweep Orlando.

As what seed did the Rockets win the 1995 championship, the lowest ever for an NBA champion?

They also became the first team to beat four 50-win teams in a single postseason.

What word completes the Rockets coach's 1995 line, 'Don't ever underestimate the ___ of a champion'?

He said it on the floor of The Summit after the sweep of Orlando.

Which star did the Rockets acquire from Phoenix in 1996 to form a 'Big Three' with Olajuwon and Drexler?

They went 57–25 but lost the West finals to Utah on a John Stockton buzzer-beater.

For how much did Leslie Alexander buy the Rockets in July 1993, a year before their first title?

He sold the team to Tilman Fertitta for a record $2.2 billion in 2017.

Which 7-foot-6 Chinese centre did the Rockets select first overall in 2002?

He carried China's flag at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and retired in 2011 after repeated foot injuries.

Which star did the Rockets get from Orlando in a 2004 seven-player trade for Steve Francis?

He and Yao missed 306 games between them over their time as teammates and never won a playoff series together.

How many consecutive games did the Rockets win in 2007–08, then the third-longest streak in NBA history?

They still lost in the first round to Utah, and Jeff Van Gundy had already been replaced by Rick Adelman.

Which reigning Sixth Man of the Year did the Rockets acquire from Oklahoma City in 2012?

He scored 37 points with 12 assists in his Houston debut against Detroit.

Which general manager brought sabermetrics-style analytics to the Rockets before leaving in 2020?

His 2019 tweet supporting Hong Kong protesters caused a rupture with China.

Which centre signed with the Rockets as a free agent in July 2013 to pair with their new star guard?

He opted out in 2016 and Mike D'Antoni took over as coach that summer.

Which team eliminated the Rockets in the conference finals in both 2015 and 2018?

Houston led the 2018 series 3–2 before Chris Paul's hamstring injury.

Which restaurant billionaire bought the Rockets in 2017 for a then-record $2.2 billion?

He publicly criticised GM Daryl Morey's Hong Kong tweet two years later.

What was the Rockets' franchise-record win total in 2017–18, Chris Paul's first season in Houston?

They led the league and were a hamstring away from the Finals.

How many consecutive 30-point games did the Rockets' star guard score in his 2018–19 streak, the NBA's second-longest?

He averaged 41.1 points during the run and dragged Houston from 11–14 to a division title.

Whom did the Rockets receive from Oklahoma City in the 2019 trade of Chris Paul?

He and Harden became the first teammates to average 30 points and 5 assists each in a month.

The Rockets' 2020 trade of Clint Capela to Atlanta cemented their commitment to what style of play?

They went 10–2 in their first twelve games with nobody taller than 6-foot-7 in the lineup.

To which team was the Rockets' franchise guard traded in January 2021 in a four-team deal?

Houston received Victor Oladipo, four first-round picks and four swaps and finished 17–55.

Which G League Ignite guard did the Rockets draft second overall in 2021?

He was traded to Phoenix in the 2025 Kevin Durant deal.

Which former Celtics coach did the Rockets hire in 2023 to replace Stephen Silas?

His 2024–25 team went 52–30 for the second seed in the West.

Which star did the Rockets acquire from Phoenix in a seven-team trade in July 2025?

Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks went to the Suns in return.

Which of these players won MVP while playing for the Rockets?

Malone, Hakeem Olajuwon and James Harden account for the franchise's four MVP awards.

What nickname did fans give the Rockets' 1972–95 gold-basketball-and-red-trails logo?

The team brought the colours back as its core identity ahead of 2026–27.

Which Missouri City artist sued the Rockets over their 1995–2003 cartoon rocket logo?

His orbiting-rocket idea was reworked with sharkmouth nose art at the NBA's suggestion.

Which Japanese designer created the Rockets' 2003 uniforms alongside logo designer Rafael Esquer?

The stylised 'R' logo won a Graphis Merit Award and inspired a custom typeface.

What is the name of the Rockets' teddy-bear mascot, introduced in 1995?

He shared duties with the acrobatic Turbo for eight years and was inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2006.

The Rockets' 2023–24 'H-Town' City uniform was inspired by which team's early-1980s look?

It nodded to Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler, who both starred for the Cougars.

The Rockets' powder-blue 2020–21 City uniform resembled the colours of which departed NFL team?

The Oilers left for Tennessee in 1997.

Which company became the Rockets' jersey sponsor in 2021–22?

The patch sits on the left shoulder of the Nike uniforms.

The Rockets GM's October 2019 tweet that angered China expressed support for what?

The Chinese Basketball Association suspended its relationship with the Rockets.

How many consecutive home sellouts did the Rockets post from the 1994 title until 1999?

By 2001–02 they had the worst attendance in the league at under 12,000 a game.

What was the Rockets' original colour scheme in San Diego?

Red replaced green on the move to Houston in 1971.

Which coach won 1991 Coach of the Year with the Rockets despite Olajuwon missing 25 games?

Like Olajuwon and Elvin Hayes, he had played for Guy Lewis at the University of Houston.

Which team did the Rockets beat 4–1 in the first round of the 2015 playoffs?

That 2015 team won 56 games and Houston's first Southwest Division title.

Which guard did the Rockets acquire from Vancouver after the 1999 draft, later a Co-Rookie of the Year?

'The Franchise' was traded to Orlando in the 2004 Tracy McGrady deal.

What honor did Yao Ming receive at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics?

He and Tracy McGrady never won a playoff series together despite leads over Dallas in 2005 and Utah in 2007.

Which former Knicks coach led the Rockets to a 45-37 record and their first playoff berth since 1999?

That 2003-04 season also brought the Toyota Center, new uniforms and the first year without Rudy Tomjanovich on the bench.

Which other expansion team joined the NBA alongside the San Diego Rockets in 1967?

Jack McMahon, then coaching the Cincinnati Royals, was brought in as the Rockets' first coach and general manager.

Which arena became the Rockets' first permanent Houston home in 1975 and housed them for 29 years?

It was part of developer Kenneth Schnitzer's Greenway Plaza, and Schnitzer owned the franchise during that period.

Which star did the Rockets trade for to replace Clyde Drexler after his retirement in 1998?

The experiment lasted one lockout-shortened season, ending with a first-round loss to the Lakers.

The name 'Rockets' honored San Diego's 'city in motion' theme and which company's missile program?

The local arm of the firm was developing the Atlas missile and booster rocket program when a naming contest picked the name in 1967.

Which former Celtics coach was hired after the Rockets' league-worst 14-68 season in 1982-83?

The team then won the top pick and took Ralph Sampson from Virginia, who was Rookie of the Year but could not lift them out of last place.

How much did Charlie Thomas and Sidney Shlenker pay for the Rockets in 1982?

The sellers were the Maloof family, who had run the team since Gavin Maloof took over at 24 and who later owned the Sacramento Kings.