Tag: Elvin Hayes

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.

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 retire No. 44 jersey at Toyota Center for Elvin Hayes

The No. 44 #Rockets jersey is now retired to the Toyota Center rafters in honor of Hall of Fame center Elvin Hayes. Here’s a look back at Friday’s special ceremony.

In conjunction with the debut of a new Hardwood Classics green-and-gold uniform from the team’s San Diego days, the Rockets on Friday retired the franchise’s No. 44 jersey to the Toyota Center rafters in honor of Hall of Fame center Elvin Hayes.

Hayes was drafted by San Diego with the No. 1 pick in the first round of the 1968 NBA draft. As with the rest of the Rockets, he moved to Houston once the team relocated in 1971.

“We are thrilled to celebrate Elvin Hayes’ stellar career by retiring his jersey,” said Tilman Fertitta, current owner of the Rockets.

“Elvin was the original basketball superstar in the city of Houston and has a lasting legacy with not only the NBA and the Rockets, but the University of Houston, as well. We’re excited to honor Elvin and his family this November and see his jersey hang where it belongs, alongside the other legends from our franchise’s storied history.”

Hayes’ No. 44 jersey is already retired at the University of Houston, where he played college basketball.

The jersey retirement ceremony took place at halftime of Houston’s game versus Indiana on Friday night. As part of the celebration, and in recognition of the franchise’s 55th anniversary season, the Rockets debuted their green San Diego Hardwood Classics jersey — made popular by Hayes and Calvin Murphy — in that game.

Scroll on for interviews, quotes, videos, photos, and much more from a special night at Toyota Center.

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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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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 to retire No. 44 jersey in honor of Elvin Hayes

At halftime of their Nov. 18 game, the Rockets will retire the franchise’s No. 44 jersey to the Toyota Center rafters in honor of Hall of Fame big man Elvin Hayes.

In conjunction with the release of a new Hardwood Classics green-and-gold uniform from the team’s San Diego days, the Rockets announced Thursday that they will retire the No. 44 jersey to the Toyota Center rafters in honor of Hall of Fame center Elvin Hayes.

Hayes was drafted by San Diego with the No. 1 pick in the first round of the 1968 NBA draft. As with the rest of the Rockets, he moved to Houston once the team relocated in 1971.

“We are thrilled to celebrate Elvin Hayes’ stellar career by retiring his jersey,” said Tilman Fertitta, current owner of the Rockets.

“Elvin was the original basketball superstar in the city of Houston and has a lasting legacy with not only the NBA and the Rockets, but the University of Houston, as well. We’re excited to honor Elvin and his family this November and see his jersey hang where it belongs, alongside the other legends from our franchise’s storied history.”

Hayes’ No. 44 jersey is already retired at the University of Houston, where he played college basketball.

“Representing the Rockets and the City of Houston has meant so much to me throughout my life,” Hayes said. “Knowing that my number will stand with the other great players in franchise history is truly an honor. I want to thank Tilman and the Fertitta family, along with the Rockets organization, and most importantly the fans for the love they have shown me throughout my playing career and beyond. I look forward to celebrating this special moment with all of you in November.”

The jersey retirement ceremony will take place at halftime of Houston’s game versus Indiana on Friday, Nov. 18. As part of the celebration, and in recognition of the franchise’s 55th anniversary season, the Rockets will debut their green San Diego Hardwood Classics jersey made popular by Hayes and Calvin Murphy.

From the team’s announcement, here are additional details regarding Hayes’ outstanding career in college and professional basketball:

During his career with the Cougars, Hayes was a two-time consensus All-American and the Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year as a senior. In a game played in front of over 52,000 fans at the Houston Astrodome on Jan. 20, 1968, Hayes led the Cougars to a 71-69 win over UCLA, snapping the Bruins 47-game winning streak. The broadcast of what became known as the “Game of the Century” is recognized as legitimizing college basketball’s potential on television and laying the groundwork for the future success of the NCAA Tournament and the evolution of March Madness.

After helping the Cougars reach their second straight Final Four, Hayes was selected by the San Diego Rockets in the 1968 NBA draft. He averaged a league-high 28.4 points in his first season and is still the last rookie to have led the NBA in scoring. Hayes was the Rockets leading scorer and rebounder during the team’s inaugural season in Houston in 1971-72. Across his first four seasons, Hayes averaged 27.4 points per game and 16.3 rebounds for the Rockets.

In June 1972, Hayes was traded to the Baltimore Bullets to team up with fellow future Hall of Famer Wes Unseld. They formed one of the more formidable frontcourt combinations in league history and led Washington to three Finals appearances, including the franchise’s first and only championship in 1977-78.

Houston re-acquired Hayes from Washington in June of 1981 and he spent his final three seasons wearing No. 44 as a Rocket, retiring at the conclusion of the 1983-84 campaign.

In 16 seasons, Hayes averaged 21.0 points and 12.5 rebounds per game, joining Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bob Pettit as the only players in NBA history with career averages of at least 21.0 points and 12.0 rebounds. Hayes was named All-NBA First Team three times, All-NBA Second Team three times, and All-Defensive Second Team twice.

Hayes never played fewer than 80 games in a season and was the NBA’s all-time leader in games played (1,303) and minutes played (50,000) at the time of his retirement. He ranked third in both scoring (27,313 points) and rebounding (16,279) when his career finished and still ranks 11th and fourth, respectively.

“The Big E” was named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history in 1996 and to the NBA’s 75th anniversary team in 2021. He was enshrined into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1990.

Hayes will become the seventh Rockets player to have his number retired, joining Clyde Drexler, Moses Malone, Calvin Murphy, Hakeem Olajuwon, Rudy Tomjanovich and Yao Ming. Former general manager Carroll Dawson also had his initials retired.

The 12-time All-Star joins a short list of NBA players to have their number retired by multiple franchises. Washington retired his No. 11 on Nov. 20, 1981.

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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.

Hakeem Olajuwon, James Harden, Moses Malone, Elvin Hayes among initial NBA 75 list

Hakeem Olajuwon, James Harden, Moses Malone, Elvin Hayes, and Charles Barkley were among Tuesday’s honorees for the NBA’s 75th anniversary team.

Houston Rockets legends Hakeem Olajuwon, Moses Malone, Elvin Hayes, and James Harden were among 25 names announced Tuesday by the NBA on night one of the official “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.

For three consecutive days on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, the league is announcing 25 of the NBA 75 names. ESPN will unveil 25 more players on Wednesday at 2 p.m. Central, while TNT will announce the remaining 25 on Thursday at 5:00 p.m. Central.

Charles Barkley, who played with the Rockets for four seasons in the 1990s, was also on Tuesday’s list of honorees — though the vast majority of his list-worthy accomplishments came in other organizations.

Detailed information regarding the Houston careers of each legend is available in our newly released all-time Rockets roster. Tuesday’s complete list of 25 NBA greats can be viewed below.

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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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