Tag: Calvin Murphy

Hakeem Olajuwon, Calvin Murphy to present ‘Rudy T’ at Hall of Fame induction

Murphy was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993, while Olajuwon joined him in 2008. On May 15, 2021, Tomjanovich joins both of them.

Former Houston Rockets player and head coach Rudy Tomjanovich will have franchise icons Calvin Murphy and Hakeem Olajuwon formally present him into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, according to the Hall’s official announcement. Tomjanovich is a part of the Class of 2020, which will have its enshrinement ceremony on May 15, 2021.

Tomjanovich played with Murphy throughout his 11-year career from 1970 through 1981. Olajuwon was the star player during his two NBA championships as a coach, 1994 and 1995. The full list of players to be inducted, along with their presenters, is available here.

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.

Besides his extensive accomplishments as a coach, “Rudy T” was also a dynamic player ⁠— with averages of 17.4 points and 8.1 rebounds in 33.5 minutes per game. He was a five-time All-Star at power forward.

Others being inducted in the Class of 2020 include Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and the late Kobe Bryant.

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James Harden passes Calvin Murphy for No. 2 on Rockets’ scoring list

With 23 points in Friday’s first quarter alone, Harden jumped the Hall of Famer for the No. 2 spot on Houston’s all-time scoring list.

With 23 points in just the first quarter of Friday’s opening game of the NBA restart, Houston Rockets superstar James Harden passed Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy for second on the franchise’s all-time scoring list.

Murphy scored 17,949 points for the Rockets over his storied career from 1970 through 1983. Harden still has a ways to go to catch Hakeem Olajuwon, who leads the Rockets with 26,511 career points in Houston.

Harden entered Friday leading the Rockets and the NBA with a 34.3 points per game scoring average, which is just the third time in over 30 years that a player has averaged at least 34 points in a season. (The other two were Harden’s 36.1 last season and Kobe Bryant’s 35.4 in 2005-06.)

Assuming he keeps his scoring average above 34 following the eight regular-season games of the restart, Harden will become just the third player in league history to average at least 34 points in two different seasons, joining Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain.

Over his eight seasons to date in Houston, Harden has earned All-Star honors in all of them while leading his Rockets to the playoffs. The future Hall of Famer was the NBA’s 2017-18 MVP and a three-time MVP runner-up, and he appears poised for another top-three MVP finish this season.

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Today in history: Calvin Murphy scores 42 to stun Spurs in Game 7

The Rockets (40-42) were no match for San Antonio (52-30) in the 1980-81 regular season. But led by Murphy, they won in the playoffs.

With a record of 52-30, the 1980-81 San Antonio Spurs won the NBA’s Midwest Division and were the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. By comparison, the No. 6 Houston Rockets (40-42) limped into the playoffs with a losing record and didn’t seem to pose much of a threat.

But led by two future Hall of Famers in guard Calvin Murphy and center Moses Malone, Houston won when it mattered most on April 17, 1981.

The Rockets defeated the Spurs in seven games in their second-round series, punctuated by a 105-100 Game 7 victory (box score) in San Antonio. Houston outscored the hosts by 14 points in the second half.

Murphy scored a game-high 42 points on 19-of-28 shooting (67.9%), while Malone had 21 points and 16 rebounds. The Spurs were led by 21 points from future Hall of Fame guard George Gervin, but the Rockets limited him to just 8-of-22 shooting (36.4%) from the field.

The Rockets went on to defeat the Kansas City Kings in the ensuing 1981 Western Conference Finals, four games to one, and advanced to the first NBA Finals in franchise history. (In the championship round, they lost in six games to Larry Bird’s Boston Celtics.)

For Murphy, it was the third-to-last season of his storied 13-year NBA career. Though his game had begun showing some signs of aging, he was able to dig deep in the playoffs and recapture his peak form.

Meanwhile, Malone departed in free agency after the 1981-82 season. That effectively ended that iteration of the franchise and led to two losing seasons in 1982-83 and 1983-84, which resulted in Houston winning the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft in consecutive years. With those, they selected big men Ralph Sampson and Hakeem Olajuwon — cornerstones of the next generation. By 1986, they returned to the NBA Finals.

Less than a decade later, Olajuwon finally led the Rockets to the promised land for the first time with a pair of NBA titles in 1993-94 and 1994-95.

In their era, Murphy and Malone never took the Rockets to those heights. Nonetheless, they were a critical part of the foundation for what remains one of the league’s best franchises to this day.

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Hakeem Olajuwon accepts offer to present ‘Rudy T’ at Hall of Fame

Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon said Saturday that he’ll join Calvin Murphy in presenting Rudy Tomjanovich at his Hall of Fame induction.

As expected, legendary Houston Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon graciously accepted a request from his former coach, Rudy Tomjanovich, to formally present him at his August 2020 induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Tomjanovich will be jointly presented by Olajuwon and Calvin Murphy, who both are already in the Hall of Fame. Olajuwon was the best player for “Rudy T” during his coaching years, while Tomjanovich played alongside Murphy for 11 years in his playing career from 1970 until 1981.

In comments to Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston, Olajuwon said:

I told [Tomjanovich] I feel so honored. It’s my honor that he thought of me. As you know, our careers paralleled. We accomplished something that’s so special together. He could have chosen anybody on that team, but to choose me, I feel privileged and honored.

On sharing the honor with Murphy, Olajuwon said:

Those are two of my heroes. Close friends, teammates. To be able to share that platform with them, I feel very privileged.

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.

Olajuwon was the NBA’s regular-season MVP in the 1993-94 campaign, and the NBA Finals MVP in both years.

“He’s the reason I’m standing up there,” Tomjanovich told Berman. “If I don’t have Hakeem, does it happen? We don’t know, probably not. He was such a big part of my life.”

Besides his extensive accomplishments as a coach, Tomjanovich was also a dynamic player ⁠— with averages of 17.4 points and 8.1 rebounds in 33.5 minutes per game. He was a five-time All-Star at power forward over 11 NBA seasons, which were all played alongside Murphy.

“I’m gonna be like a little kid in a candy store that night, taking pictures of everything,” Murphy said about his inclusion in the induction ceremony for Tomjanovich. “Having pictures of me and Dream and Rudy together, you’re looking at the originals and the franchise together.”

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Tomjanovich and other members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020 are scheduled to be enshrined on Saturday, Aug. 29 in Springfield, Massachusetts. Former NBA players to be inducted will include Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, and the late Kobe Bryant.

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Rudy Tomjanovich eyes Olajuwon, Murphy as Hall of Fame presenters

Rudy Tomjanovich is asking Hall of Famers and Rockets legends Calvin Murphy and Hakeem Olajuwon to present him at his August induction.

Former Houston Rockets player and head coach Rudy Tomjanovich is asking franchise icons Calvin Murphy and Hakeem Olajuwon to formally present him later this year at his Hall of Fame induction.

Tomjanovich played with Murphy throughout his 11-year career from 1970 thrugh 1981, while Olajuwon was the star player during his two NBA championships as a coach in 1994 and 1995.

Murphy immediately accepted the honor. In comments to Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston, the Hall of Fame guard said Monday:

I would have been very, very disappointed and very hurt if I had not been at his right hand when he accepts his enshrinement. That was absolutely fabulous. It doesn’t get any better than that. Over the 10 years we roomed together, over the years we’ve known each other, I can’t begin to tell you how much time we spent talking basketball.

The fact that Rudy Tomjanovich and Calvin Murphy came into the NBA together, we cried together, we laughed together, and now we’re going to be in the Hall of Fame together. It don’t get any better than that.

As for Olajuwon, a Hall of Fame center, Tomjanovich told Berman:

If Hakeem isn’t on the team when I get the job, you guys will probably be saying ‘Hey, remember that guy with the long last name who used to play for the Rockets?’ People wouldn’t know who I am right now. I was just blessed to have such a great player that we could build around. He’s the key ingredient to this whole deal.

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.

Besides his extensive accomplishments as a coach, “Rudy T” was also a dynamic player ⁠— with averages of 17.4 points and 8.1 rebounds in 33.5 minutes per game. He was a five-time All-Star at power forward.

Tomjanovich and other members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020 are scheduled to be enshrined on Saturday, Aug. 29 in Springfield, Massachusetts. Former NBA players to be inducted will include Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, and the late Kobe Bryant.

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Rockets legends welcome Rudy Tomjanovich to Hall of Fame

Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, and Calvin Murphy are thrilled to have Rudy Tomjanovich join them in the Basketball Hall of Fame.

As first reported by Fox 26 Houston’s Mark Berman, former Rockets player and head coach Rudy Tomjanovich was indeed selected to the Hall of Fame in Saturday’s official Class of 2020 reveal.

When Tomjanovich is enshrined later this year, he’ll join former Rockets legends such as Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, and Calvin Murphy at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

After Saturday’s announcement, Berman caught up with those previously enshrined Hall of Famers from the Rockets for their reaction.

Olajuwon was NBA Finals MVP during both of Houston’s championship runs in 1994 and 1995. Regarding his coach, Olajuwon said:

It’s no question it’s well deserved. I’m very, very happy it finally came true. I’ve been hoping it would happen for a long time. What he has done for the game of basketball speaks for itself. I’m proud of him.

Drexler and Murphy echoed Olajuwon’s sentiment, with Drexler saying that Tomjanovich “finally gets his just due among the great coaches that have been a part of this game.”

Now 71 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.

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.

Besides his extensive accomplishments as a head coach, Tomjanovich was also a dynamic player for the Rockets ⁠— with averages of 17.4 points and 8.1 rebounds in 33.5 minutes per game over 11 seasons from 1970 through 1981. He was a five-time All-Star at power forward.

Tomjanovich and other members of the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020 are scheduled to be enshrined on Saturday, Aug. 29 in Springfield, Massachusetts. Players to be inducted alongside “Rudy T” will include Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, and the late Kobe Bryant.

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Today in Rockets history: Calvin Murphy scores historic 57 points

On March 18, 1978, Hall of Fame guard Calvin Murphy scored 57 points. That stood as the Houston Rockets scoring record for 40 years.

On March 18, 1978 (box score), Hall of Fame guard Calvin Murphy scored a historic 57 points in a narrow home loss to the New Jersey Nets. That total held up as the Houston Rockets scoring record for 40 years.

Most impressive at all? The NBA hadn’t even added the 3-point line, yet! (That came in the 1979-80 season.) Utilizing his lightning-quick first step to attack the basket and lethal mid-range shooting, Murphy scored 57 on 24-of-40 from the field (60.0%), along with nine free throws.

Murphy’s record was finally broken on Jan. 30, 2018, when current Rockets star James Harden scored 60 points, including five 3-pointers. Harden went on to win MVP at the conclusion of that season.

Now a Rockets television analyst, Murphy showed a great deal of class by immediately congratulating Harden once the record was broken.

For his part, Harden explained to the Houston Chronicle at the time that he and Murphy maintain a close relationship:

“Me and Cal talk all the time,” Harden said. “He’s one of the best to ever put a Rockets jersey on. Big ups to him. We talk all the time. I told him I’m coming for that assists record, as well. It’s great. He said as long as it’s a Hall of Famer that’s doing it, so that’s what I’m chasing.”

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Harden ultimately passed Murphy on the franchise’s career assists list on Dec. 19, 2019. Just before that game, Murphy explained why he was happy to see many of his career records broken by Harden:

People are going to ask me about him breaking my record. Number one, I’ve held it for 50 years. Can you believe that? All my contemporaries are gone, and they’re still talking about Calvin Murphy.

I’ve always said that if any of my records fall, I want them to be broken by somebody of quality. Not somebody that accidentally stepped into it. James Harden is more than qualified to break any of Calvin Murphy’s records.

The thing I like about James Harden is that when he does something of that magnitude, he always brings me along for the ride, and I appreciate that. … The fact that he appreciates what we did before him makes me feel good. This man has class.

There aren’t any publicly available highlight packages of Murphy’s historic game on March 18, 1978. But just over three years later in April 1981 — and in a game where highlights are available — Murphy scored a game-high 42 points on 19-of-28 shooting (67.9%) in a road Game 7 victory to close out the Western Conference semi-finals at San Antonio.

The Rockets went on to win the West that season, advancing them to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.

Over 13 seasons with the Rockets (including his rookie year in San Diego), Murphy averaged 17.9 points in 30.5 minutes per game on 48.2% shooting from the field. He shot 89.2% on free throws, headlined by the NBA’s longest-ever streak at the time with 78 consecutive makes.

Though Murphy wasn’t selected until the second round of the 1970 NBA Draft, the undersized shooting guard exceeded all expectations on both offense and defense during his Hall of Fame career. To this day, he remains one of the best draft picks in Rockets franchise history.

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(Editor’s note: With the 2019-20 season on hiatus due to the NBA’s coronavirus-induced shutdown, we’re looking back at key moments in franchise history. We’ll have more of our Rockets Rewind series coming up, since the league’s stoppage is expected to last at least 30 days.)

James Harden becomes all-time Houston Rockets assists king

Rockets star James Harden made history Thursday by passing Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy as the all-time Houston Rockets assists leader.

Rockets superstar James Harden made history in Thursday’s first quarter by recording assist number 4,403 of his Houston tenure. Appropriately, it occurred in Harden’s hometown of Los Angeles, where the Rockets (18-9) faced the Clippers (21-8) in a clash of perceived NBA title contenders.

That assist — which led to a dunk for big man Clint Capela — allowed Harden to pass Hall of Fame guard Calvin Murphy (4,402) for the franchise’s all-time assists lead.

Entering Thursday, Harden was the NBA’s leading scorer this season at 38.9 points per game. However, on the all-time Rockets points list, Harden (16,881) trailed No. 2 scorer Murphy (17,949) by nearly 1,000 points and No. 1 scorer Hakeem Olajuwon (26,511) by almost 10,000.

In many ways, it’s symbolic for Harden to pass Murphy on the assists list before the points list. Though the 2018 MVP is revered for his scoring, it’s the diversity of his skillset and his ability to both score and facilitate that has largely defined his eight seasons to date in Houston.

Murphy, who now works as an analyst for Rockets television partner AT&T SportsNet Southwest, addressed Harden’s looming history on Monday.

People are going to ask me about him breaking my record. Number one, I’ve held it for 50 years. Can you believe that? All my contemporaries are gone, and they’re still talking about Calvin Murphy.

I’ve always said that if any of my records fall, I want them to be broken by somebody of quality. Not somebody that accidentally stepped into it. James Harden is more than qualified to break any of Calvin Murphy’s records.

The thing I like about James Harden is that when he does something of that magnitude, he always brings me along for the ride, and I appreciate that. … The fact that he appreciates what we did before him makes me feel good. This man has class.

When asked last weekend to compare Harden to other current NBA stars and MVP candidates, Orlando Magic defensive ace Jonathan Isaac pointed to Harden’s passing as a distinguishing characteristic.

“I would say he’s the toughest so far, with the way that he’s able to get everybody else involved on top of him having a great shooting night,” Isaac said after Harden’s 54 points and seven assists in a blowout win.

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As for the franchise’s all-time leaders in cumulative statistics, Harden also ranks first in three-pointers made and attempted.

Barring injury, the 30-year-old guard should soon become the all-time Rockets leader in made free throws, as well. Harden entered Thursday’s game 255 made foul shots short of Olajuwon (5,121 to 5,376), but with an average of 13.1 free-throw attempts per game on 88.4% accuracy and 55 games left to play this season, Harden should easily clear Olajuwon’s mark before the 2019-20 campaign is complete.

For perspective, heading into Thursday’s game, Harden had made 312 free throws within just the first 27 games for the Rockets.

With Harden under contract through at least 2021-22, he’ll have every opportunity to break numerous other team records in the years ahead.

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James Harden is eight assists away from being Houston’s assist king

James Harden has a chance to become the Houston Rockets’ all-time assists leader Monday night.

James Harden is close to achieving a milestone that would only add to his legacy as one of the Houston Rockets’ all-time players.

According to Craig Ackerman, the Rockets’ TV and play-by-play broadcaster, Harden is eight assists away from being the Rockets’ all-time assists leader. Hall of Fame guard Calvin Murphy is the current leader with 4,402 assists. Harden currently has 4,395 assists as a Rockets player.

Harden has an opportunity to earn this achievement Monday night against the San Antonio Spurs. Tip off in Houston is set for 8 p.m. EST.

This season Harden is averaging a team-leading 7.5 assists. In each of the past five seasons, Harden has tallied at least 7.0 assists a game, with his career-high coming during the 2016-17 season. As one of the best playmakers in the league, Harden ranks eighth in assists per game this season.

From a scoring standpoint, what Harden does for the Rockets is extraordinary. The league’s leading scorer, he’s averaging a career-best 39.3 points per game. He is ranked third on the Rockets’ all-time leading scoring list behind Hakeem Olajuwon and Murphy, according to Basketball Reference. 

But his ability to set up his teammates makes him even harder to contain. Harden has 4,937 career assists, ranking seventh among active players, per NBA.com. 

With Harden close to accomplishing this milestone, it’ll help add to what’s been a Hall of Fame-caliber resume for the seven-time All-Star.