Thanks in large part to franchise icon James Harden, the Rockets will be well represented at the Houston Sports Awards on Jan. 21, 2020.
The Harris County – Houston Sports Authority (HCHSA) announced the finalists Thursday for its third annual program, which celebrates accomplishments in the 2019 calendar year.
As far as the Rockets are concerned, those include:
James Harden – Athlete of the Year
James Harden’s 61-point game in 114-110 win at New York Knicks – Moment of the Year
That January 2019 game at Madison Square Garden still stands as the career-high point total for the former NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) and the league’s current leading scorer.
The @HCHSA will honor #Astros owner Jim Crane as Executive of the Year & #Texans LB Whitney Mercilus (@Merci380) will be honored w/ the presigious Sportsmanship award at 2020 Houston Sports Awards dinner on 1/21/20. Here are the nominees for 6 other awards. @KPRC2 @SportsTalk790 pic.twitter.com/6CoPEccPig
— Adam Wexler (@KPRC2AdamW) December 12, 2019
Harden’s competition for Athlete of the Year consists of gymnast Simone Biles; Houston Astros baseball players Alex Bregman and Justin Verlander; and Houston Texans football quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Meanwhile, his top Moment of the Year competition appears to be Jose Altuve’s walk-off home run in the American League Championship Series, which clinched the Astros’ third league pennant in franchise history.
Elsewhere, former Rockets player and coach Rudy Tomjanovich — who played from 1970 through 1981, and served as head coach from 1992 through 2003 — is one of three inductees into the program’s third Hall of Fame class. Tomjanovich was the coach when the Rockets won their only two NBA titles in the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons.
Congratulations to our very own ‘Rudy T’ who will be inducted into the Houston Sports Hall of Fame! Join him and other Houston sports legends at the @HOUsportsAwards on January 21, 2020.
Tickets are on sale now: https://t.co/E3tXwjJWux pic.twitter.com/ixq3hYS5LL
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) December 10, 2019
The voting committees for the Houston Sports Awards are comprised of sportswriters and electronic sports media members who live and work in the Greater Houston area.
The complete list of finalists can be read at the awards website, with the winners selected at a ceremony on Jan. 21, 2020, at the Hilton Americas in downtown Houston.
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