Tag: Clyde Drexler

Where Rockets rank in updated list of 77 greatest NBA players of all-time

With 77 NBA seasons in the books, @HoopsHype issued an updated list of the greatest 77 players of all-time. Here’s where players with #Rockets ties were ranked.

The 2023-24 regular season is the NBA’s 78th overall, which means 77 seasons are in the books.

With that in mind, our friends at HoopsHype recently compiled an updated list of the NBA’s best 77 players of all time, complete with statistics and information through the 2022-23 campaign.

As one might expect, the Rockets are well represented. Along with many All-Stars over the years, they had three Most Valuable Player (MVP) award winners: Hakeem Olajuwon, Moses Malone and James Harden. Historically, Houston is among the league’s top franchises.

Granted, the Rockets haven’t won a championship since Olajuwon led them to their only two in the 1994 and 1995 NBA Finals. But the hope is that could change in the years ahead. If it does, perhaps a rising star such Jalen Green, Amen Thompson or Jabari Smith Jr. might crack an updated version of this list in a decade or so.

For now, with the start of 2023-24 training camp only days away, here’s a look back at where legacy Rockets stand on HoopsHype’s updated list of the 77 greatest players in NBA history.

New Rockets coach Ime Udoka seizes moment with Astros, Houston fans

“It is an honor to come out and do this,” new #Rockets coach Ime Udoka said of Thursday’s first pitch at Minute Maid Park. “It’s the first step of getting to know the community.” #Astros

HOUSTON — Seldom will you see new Rockets head coach Ime Udoka look nervous. The 6-foot-5-inch former NBA player, who guided the Boston Celtics to the 2022 NBA Finals as a coach, always has a stoic, stern look that exudes confidence.

That was until the final stages of Udoka’s pregame warmup on Thursday at Minute Maid Park, where he threw out a ceremonial first pitch before the Astros played the visiting Los Angeles Angels.

“It has been a very long time since I have done this,” Udoka said as he hurled pitch after pitch to a member of the Astros’ team. “I just hope I throw a strike.”

His pitch crossed over the outside corner of the plate before it bounced into the glove of backup catcher Cesar Salazar. Technically, it was a strike. Even if it wasn’t, Udoka threw his hands in the air as if he had just thrown the last pitch to win the World Series.

“It is an honor to come out and do this,” Udoka said. “It’s the first step of kind of getting to know the community, know the other teams in the city, and getting to catch a good game with a great team.”

Udoka grew up loving baseball, having watched his siblings play before trying the sport himself for seven years. That was before basketball came calling and seeing one of his favorite players from the Portland Trail Blazers, Clyde Drexler, playing on television. He wore a custom No. 22 jersey to honor the native Houstonian.

“I grew up in Portland, Oregon, watching Clyde Drexler,” Udoka said. “He was the reason I started playing, so I am paying homage to him.”

Before he took the mound, Udoka had a chance to speak briefly with Astros manager Dusty Baker; the two laughed and joked with one another.

“Coaching, in general, is a big fraternity, regardless of the sport,” Udoka said of meeting Baker, who won the 2022 World Series, for the first time. “A guy that has all of the knowledge and been through what he has is obviously a huge tool for me to try and pick his brain.”

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76 greatest NBA players ever: Where Rockets rank in HoopsHype’s updated list

For the NBA’s 76th season in 2022-23, @HoopsHype has a fresh update of the top 76 players of all-time. Here’s where former Rockets came in, starting with Hakeem Olajuwon.

Edition one of the HoopsHype 75 went well enough that many people liked it better than the official NBA one, so our sister publication is doing another round. The catch is that they’re adding another player to make it a 76-deep list, since this is the league’s 76th season.

The main difference between this list and the official NBA75 one is that HoopsHype is giving modern-era players their flowers, to a larger extent. Egregious omissions from the official list, such as Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol, easily made it onto this ranking.

As was the case last year, HoopsHype held a team vote with the opinions of eight staff members, removed the highest and lowest rank for each, and awarded points from 76-1 for the rest.

Scroll on to see where former Houston Rockets were ranked, along with voting details, player accolades, and analysis from HoopsHype. You should check out the full HoopsHype list for all 76 updates.

Rockets legend Clyde Drexler honored by Houston Sports Hall of Fame

Rockets legend Clyde Drexler received his Houston Sports Hall of Fame ring this week, along with the installation of a personalized plaque in downtown Houston.

Last April, Rockets and NBA legend Clyde Drexler was among three members inducted into the Houston Sports Hall of Fame as part of the 2022 class, joining Roger Clemens of MLB’s Astros and Sheryl Swoopes of the WNBA’s Comets.

Earlier this week, each member of that trio received their Hall of Fame ring and had a personalized plaque unveiled on the Walk of Fame at the GreenStreet Promenade in downtown Houston.

Here are some of the details on Drexler’s new ring, per Matt Young of the Houston Chronicle:

Drexler’s ring says “Drexler” on one side with the Olympic rings to represent him playing on the 1992 Dream Team.

The other side says “Rockets,” with whom he won an NBA championship in 1995, and has the University of Houston Cougars’ hand sign on it.

“It’s a token of appreciation from the city that I’ve spent my entire life in,” Drexler told Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston. “That’s what makes it special. It’s a tremendous honor.”

Drexler played portions of four seasons with the Rockets, starting at the trade deadline of the 1994-95 season and continuing to his retirement at the conclusion of the 1997-98 campaign.

“Clyde the Glide” averaged 19 points (44.5% FG, 33.9% on 3-pointers), 6.1 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.9 steals in 36.7 minutes per game with the Rockets. He was a key cog as the starting shooting guard of the 1994-95 NBA champions.

Drexler’s No. 22 jersey is retired in the rafters at both Toyota Center and at the University of Houston, where he led the Cougars to a pair of Final Four appearances (1982, 1983) alongside his good friend and future co-star with the Rockets, Hakeem Olajuwon.

Both Drexler and Olajuwon are members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.

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Where ESPN ranks Rockets greats among NBA’s Top 75 players of all-time

The official NBA 75 list of the league’s greatest all-time players includes 11 former Rockets. Here’s where ESPN ranks them, historically.

Founded in 1967 in San Diego before moving to Houston in 1971, the Rockets are clearly one of the NBA’s flagship franchises. With 2,286 wins and 2,074 losses, the team’s .529 winning clip entering the 2021-22 season ranks eighth among the league’s 30 active clubs, and they are one of only 11 teams with multiple championships (1994, 1995).

As such, it wasn’t a surprise to see Houston well represented with more than 10 former players on the historic NBA 75 list. The NBA 75 is the league’s official 75th anniversary team, honoring the 75 greatest players in league history as selected by a panel of media and current and former players, coaches, general managers and team executives. (Because of a tie in voting, there were ultimately 76 players named.)

Many of those 76 players were honored on Sunday, Feb. 20, as part of a celebration at the 2022 NBA All-Star Game in Cleveland.

What the league office did not do, however, is rank those 76 all-time greats in comparison to each other. An independent ESPN panel recently took that additional step, and here’s where the 11 players with Houston ties ended up. Scroll on for further statistics, career data, and analysis.

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Interview: Clyde Drexler on NBA’s 2022 All-Star Weekend, Rockets’ rebuild, and beyond

Rockets legend and Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler shares his perspective on Jalen Green and the dunk contest, as well as the status of Houston’s ongoing franchise rebuild in 2022.

As a promotional event at the NBA’s 2022 All-Star Weekend, beer brand Michelob ULTRA is partnering with NBA JAM and some of the league’s most legendary players from the 1990s to bring the joy of the iconic video game to life — both virtually and on the ground in Cleveland.

The 2022 All-Star Game is being held this weekend as a celebration of the NBA’s 75th anniversary, and it’s been almost 30 years since the iconic game hit the shelves. To that end, Michelob ULTRA is encouraging fans to “Enjoy it Like It’s 1993,” both virtually at EnjoyItLikeIts1993.com and in person at a retro ‘90s barcade in Cleveland, where various NBA JAM legends will stop by throughout the weekend for meet and greets.

Further details are available in the press release.

One of those legends who will be in Cleveland for NBA JAM meet and greets is Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler, who won the 1995 NBA Finals with the Houston Rockets and went on to become a beloved television announcer for the team in the years following his storied career.

Drexler recently sat down with Rockets Wire for an exclusive interview about his partnership with Michelob ULTRA and NBA JAM, as well as a wide range of other Rockets’ topics — including the state of the team’s current rebuild and the prospects for rookie Jalen Green in Saturday’s slam dunk contest. Scroll on for a lightly edited transcript, and the complete interview can be listened to below.

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Where Rockets rank among the greatest nicknames in NBA history

“Hakeem the Dream” and “Clyde the Glide” are among Houston’s best contributions to elite NBA nicknames, but they’re far from alone. Here’s a comprehensive list through Rockets history.

The best sports nicknames are colorful accents that effortlessly add a dash of flavor to the games we watch and play.

Some originate as terms of endearment, while others are bestowed as labels of ineptitude. That got us wondering about where some of the greatest players in basketball history — such as Michael Jordan (Air), LeBron James (King James) and Earvin Johnson (Magic) — rank in the pantheon of great NBA nicknames.

Baseball, with its long and rich history, once generated vivid monikers such as the Sultan of Swat (Babe Ruth) and the Splendid Splinter (Ted Williams). But basketball, with its playground roots and hip-hop culture, arguably is the sport with the most imaginative sports nicknames today.

With that in mind, Thomas Neumann of Rookie Wire took a shot at ranking the 101 greatest nicknames in NBA history. See below for where players with ties to the Houston Rockets were ranked in that list.

All nickname commentary and history is from Neumann.

NBA 75: See which former Houston Rockets made the historic list

Hakeem Olajuwon, James Harden, and Moses Malone are among former Rockets who were named to the NBA’s official list of 75 all-time greats.

Founded in 1967 in San Diego before moving to Houston in 1971, the Rockets are clearly one of the NBA’s flagship franchises. With 2,286 wins and 2,074 losses, the team’s .529 winning clip entering the 2021-22 season ranks eighth among the league’s 30 active clubs, and they are one of only 11 teams with multiple championships (1994, 1995).

As such, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to see Houston well represented by more than 10 former players on the historic NBA 75 list. The NBA 75 is the league’s official 75th anniversary team, honoring the 75 greatest players in league history as selected by a panel of media and current and former players, coaches, general managers and team executives. (Because of a tie in voting, there were ultimately 76 players named.)

As far as representation by the Rockets, some are all-time franchise legends like Hakeem Olajuwon, James Harden, Moses Malone, and Clyde Drexler. Others are those who simply passed through for a season, such as Russell Westbrook, Scottie Pippen, and Carmelo Anthony.

In alphabetical order, here’s a rundown of players on the NBA 75 list who played with the Rockets at some point over their distinguished playing careers. Big names with Houston ties who did not make the list included Dwight Howard, Tracy McGrady, and Dikembe Mutombo.

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Editor’s note: Detailed information on the Houston careers of many of these players is available in our newly released all-time Rockets roster.

Clyde Drexler, Chris Paul highlight second day of NBA 75 honorees

Former Rockets guards Clyde Drexler and Chris Paul were among 25 players named Wednesday to the NBA’s official 75th anniversary team.

Former Houston Rockets players Clyde Drexler, Chris Paul, Scottie Pippen, and Rick Barry were among 25 names announced Wednesday during part two of the three-part “NBA 75” reveal. The NBA 75 is the league’s official 75th anniversary team honoring the 75 greatest players in league history, as selected by a panel of media and current and former players, coaches, general managers, and team executives.

Each day on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, the league’s plan is to announce 25 of the NBA 75 names. TNT will announce the remaining 25 players on Thursday at 5:00 p.m. Central.

With the latest reveal, 50 players on the list of 75 are now known. Tuesday’s announcement included five players with Houston ties — Hakeem Olajuwon, James Harden, Moses Malone, Elvin Hayes, and Charles Barkley. See below for the full lists from Tuesday and Wednesday.

Of the nine former Rockets named to the NBA 75 list thus far, seven are also in the Basketball Hall of Fame, while the other two (Harden and Paul) are not yet eligible because they are still playing in the league. Each of those two is a virtual lock to join the others after their career ends.

Pippen and Barry each spent very limited time in Houston, with Pippen playing one abbreviated season there in 1999 and Barry two at the end of his career from 1978 through 1980. The other seven players had more distinguished accomplishments with the Rockets.

Detailed information regarding the Houston careers of each legend is available in our newly released all-time Rockets roster.

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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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