Tag: Calvin Murphy

Every Houston Rockets player who’s scored 50 points in a game

How many players have scored 50-plus points for the #Rockets in an NBA game? The list is shorter than you might think.

By almost any metric, the Houston Rockets are one of the NBA’s better franchises. In addition to representing the fourth-largest city in the United States, they are one of only 11 clubs to win multiple championships (1993-94, 1994-95) and they rank 11th among the league’s 30 franchises in all-time winning percentage (.515).

That winning clip, of course, was higher before this rebuilding run of the past three seasons, which allowed Houston to get three straight top-four draft picks. But after stockpiling first-round talent from those drafts and supplementing it with a new head coach (Ime Udoka) and key veterans (Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks and Jeff Green) in the 2023 offseason, a resurgence may not be far away.

Historically, the Rockets are a proud franchise, and they’re striving to return to their past glory. Since debuting as the San Diego Rockets in 1967-68, a wealth of basketball talent has passed through the club: Hall of Famers, MVPs and all-time greats.

Now, in this dull part of the offseason, we’re looking back at some of the history the Rockets have produced during their NBA years.

This edition looks at elite scorers. Per StatMuse, eight players have scored 50-plus points in a regular-season game for the Rockets.

Ordered by number of 50-point games, those players are:

Rockets legends Elvin Hayes, Calvin Murphy named to Houston Sports Hall of Fame

#Rockets greats Elvin Hayes and Calvin Murphy (@CalvinMurphyHOF) are being named to the Houston Sports Hall of Fame as part of the upcoming Class of 2023.

Rockets legends and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame members Elvin Hayes and Calvin Murphy are among the latest additions to the newly created Houston Sports Hall of Fame.

Located in downtown Houston at GreenStreet, the hall honors legendary sports figures from or associated with the Houston area that have made a significant impact in their sport. Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler and Rudy Tomjanovich were among the initial classes, and now Hayes and Murphy will join them in the Class of 2023.

As part of this week’s official announcement, here’s how Houston Sports Hall of Fame officials characterized their careers:

Calvin Murphy is a Rockets legend and a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer. Murphy was drafted by the San Diego Rockets in 1970, now the Houston Rockets, and quickly began making history and breaking records. Murphy was one of the best free-throw shooters ever, setting NBA records for most consecutive free throws made and for the highest free throw percentage in a single season (1980-81). Post-NBA, Murphy continued to work for the Rockets in multiple ways and had his No. 23 jersey retired in 1984.

Elvin Hayes began playing at the University of Houston in 1965. His most memorable moment came on January 20, 1968, when the University of Houston went up against UCLA at the Houston Astrodome. During the game, Hayes scored 39 points and had 15 rebounds for Houston, ending UCLA’s 47-game win streak in what was called “The Game of the Century.” From that moment, Hayes continued to play in the NBA for over 15 years. He is a 12-time NBA All-Star, was named to both the 50th and 75th anniversary teams and is a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Hayes will have his No. 44 jersey retired by the Rockets on Nov. 18, 2022.

“When I found out it was for me, I got emotional,” Murphy told Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston. “It doesn’t get any better than this. To see that people still revere me … of course (it) feeds my ego tremendously. It makes me feel as though everything I’ve done in Houston over the last 53 years was not in vain.”

Hayes and Murphy will formally be inducted and enshrined at the sixth annual Houston Sports Awards on Jan. 25, 2023.

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Rockets, Memorial Hermann work to renovate large Houston community center

With Jalen Green and Calvin Murphy among team reps at a ribbon-cutting ceremony, the Rockets and Memorial Hermann have successfully renovated Houston’s Moody Community Center.

The Fertitta family, Houston Rockets, Clutch City Foundation, Memorial Hermann Health System, and City of Houston unveiled extensive renovations Thursday afternoon at Moody Community Center.

The Rockets are owned by the Fertitta family, while the Clutch City Foundation has served as the umbrella organization for all of the franchise’s community initiatives in the Houston area since 1995.

In addition to overhauls of both an indoor and outdoor basketball court, the Moody project included a refurbished reading and learning center complete with computers, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathemathics) equipment, and gaming systems.

According to the team, the refurbishment of the basketball courts is an extension of Memorial Hermann’s mission to improve the health and well-being of all Houstonians and part of the system’s vision to create healthier communities. The learning center is part of a broader NBA league-wide initiative during its 75th anniversary season to create or improve live, learn, or play centers in each team’s home market.

At Thursday’s event, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner led a ribbon cutting ceremony along with Carol Paret, chief community health officer at Memorial Hermann. Following the ceremony, the Rockets conducted mini-clinics for area children at the two basketball courts.

Representatives of the Rockets present at Thursday’s ceremony included Gretchen Sheirr, president of business operations; Stephen Silas, head coach; former Rockets player and Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy; and current players Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, and Josh Christopher.

Going forward, the Rockets say they will continue to partner with Moody Community Center and the City of Houston’s Parks and Recreation Department by bolstering afterschool and summer programs with reading and wellness initiatives, along with basketball clinics and camps.

Courtesy of rockets.com, scroll on for photos from Thursday’s event.

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Cayleigh Griffin: The Fertitta Family, …

Cayleigh Griffin: The Fertitta Family, HOU Rockets, Clutch City Foundation, Memorial Hermann Health System & City of Houston are unveiling renovations at Moody Community Center. Coach Silas, Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Josh Christopher, Calvin Murphy, Gretchen Sheirr & Mayor Turner in attendance pic.twitter.com/f71hze7t0f

The most underrated prospects in the 2022 NFL draft class

Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar reveals his most underrated prospects in the 2022 NFL draft class.

When we media yahoos talk about “sleepers” in any draft class, it’s true what NFL teams will tell you — it’s generally a case of the media simply catching up to what those teams have known about those prospects for months. Perception versus reality means that what we’re really talking about are prospects we’re just getting around to after the top-tier players at every position.

So, maybe it’s better to say for the purposes of this exercise that the prospects you see here are the ones whose tape stands out beyond the recognition they’ve gotten. With days to hours left until the 2022 draft, these players are the ones you may not have heard of, or have experienced in passing but haven’t watched, or have watched and wondered where they might be drafted.

Any of these guys going in the first round would be a longshot, but they each have remarkable attributes that show their professional potential, and could seal their NFL futures.

Rockets, City of Houston honor longtime TV broadcaster Bill Worrell

Friday was officially named “Bill Worrell Day” by the City of Houston, and the Rockets honored his legendary 40-year broadcasting career throughout tonight’s game at Toyota Center.

The Rockets and the Houston City Council honored longtime television play-by-play broadcaster Bill Worrell on Friday with “Bill Worrell Day,” which included both an official proclamation by Mayor Sylvester Turner and special activities throughout Friday’s home game at Toyota Center.

The Rockets honored Worrell throughout the game versus Dallas, including an extended halftime ceremony with special guests including former stars Elvin Hayes, Rudy Tomjanovich, and Clyde Drexler.

The first 3,000 fans in attendance Friday each received a Bill Worrell pin, while local artist Sarah Welch created a poster of Worrell that made available to fans for purchase. All proceeds benefit the Rockets’ Clutch City Foundation and the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston.

Fellow broadcaster and Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy joined Worrell for a pregame autograph signing session at Toyota Center, and AT&T SportsNet Southwest aired a special interview in its pregame show of Murphy taking a trip down memory lane with Worrell, his longtime TV partner. For fans in attendance, the Rockets played numerous video highlights from Worrell’s broadcasting career on the jumbotron, and AT&T SportsNet aired similar footage throughout the television broadcast.

Worrell, who began his storied television career in 1970 shortly after graduating from the University of Houston, retired as the Rockets television play-by-play broadcaster following Houston’s final 2020-21 home game on May 14. Worrell still serves as a special contributor for AT&T SportsNet, with this being his 40th season covering the Rockets.

See below for a roundup of Friday’s special activities.

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NBA 75: Our all-time roster for the Houston Rockets

As the NBA honors its 75th anniversary with a list of its historical greats, we look back at the top players in Houston Rockets history.

As part of a celebration of its 75th anniversary, the NBA is releasing what it calls the NBA 75 — a list of the greatest players in league history.

With that in mind, we’re looking back at the greats over that same time period who played for the Rockets. Founded in 1967 in San Diego before moving to Houston in 1971, the Rockets are clearly one of the league’s flagship clubs. With 2,286 wins and 2,074 losses, the .529 winning clip by the Rockets ranks eighth among the league’s 30 active franchises, and they are one of only 11 teams with multiple championships (1994, 1995).

Some ground rules: Since this exercise is to determine an overall roster, this list contains position biases. For example, even though the Rockets have a long history of elite centers, a team wouldn’t be likely to carry six centers on a 15-man roster. Thus, some greats did not make the cut.

Also, this roster defers to each player’s specific contributions in Houston. In other words, even though Scottie Pippen is a Hall of Famer and an all-time NBA legend, he played just one season with the Rockets and was past his prime at that time — which makes him not a fit for an all-time Houston list. Similar logic holds true with Russell Westbrook.

Without any further delay, here’s our all-time Rockets roster, and be sure to check out our other NBA Wire sites for rival comparisons.

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Rockets legend Rudy Tomjanovich inducted into Basketball Hall of Fame

With Rockets franchise icons Calvin Murphy and Hakeem Olajuwon there to present him, “Rudy T” happily accepted his induction on Saturday.

Legendary Rockets player and coach Rudy Tomjanovich was officially inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday night. He was honored at the enshrinement ceremony in Springfield, Massachusetts, with Houston franchise icons (and fellow Hall of Famers) Calvin Murphy and Hakeem Olajuwon there to present him.

Murphy was a close friend of Tomjanovich from their playing days, while Olajuwon was the star player during his coaching era.

Upon induction, Tomjanovich said:

I fell in love with basketball the first time I saw it. And as a young boy, I carved into my headboard of my bed, ‘I love basketball.’ And I went to sleep with my hand on that carving and I dreamed — I dreamed of one day getting to the NBA. After today, I can say that my life turned out better than my wildest dreams.

To Murphy and Olajuwon on stage, Tomjanovich said:

Calvin, during my playing days, you were my teammate, my roommate, my neighbor, my best friend and most of all, my brother. We shared so many experiences together, it means so much that you are here to share this with me.

Hakeem, you more than anyone are responsible for me being here. You are the best player to ever wear a Houston Rockets jersey and one of the best of all time. You gave us your excellence, your leadership and your big heart. And you taught me something very valuable; the importance of spirituality in all phases of my life.

Tomjanovich also thanked a number of other players from his 1990s Rockets teams, including Kenny Smith, Otis Thorpe, Clyde Drexler, Vernon Maxwell, Sam Cassell, Mario Elie, and Carl Herrera.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJv-_gh5i-s

Now 72 years old, Tomjanovich played for the Rockets from 1970 through 1981, and was head coach from 1992 through 2003. That run included Houston’s only two NBA titles in the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons.

In his 11-plus seasons as head coach, Tomjanovich led the Rockets to a 503-397 (.559) regular-season record and a 51-39 (.567) mark in the NBA playoffs, headlined by Houston’s two championships in 1994 and 1995. He is by far the winningest coach in franchise history.

But “Rudy T,” as he’s best known in Rockets’ circles, was also a dynamic player ⁠— with averages of 17.4 points and 8.1 rebounds in 33.5 minutes per game over 11 seasons. He was a five-time All-Star at power forward.

“I want to thank the fans for their undying support,” Tomjanovich said on Saturday from the Hall of Fame stage. “We couldn’t have done it without you. I feel your spirit right here, Houston.”

Tomjanovich had been the only coach in history with multiple NBA titles and an Olympic gold medal who was not in the Hall of Fame. He was the only NBA head coach among the 2020 inductees, who had their enshrinements delayed by nine months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Players to be inducted alongside “Rudy T” in the Class of 2020 included Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, and the late Kobe Bryant.

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