Tag: Rudy Tomjanovich

Rudy Tomjanovich extremely impressed by new-look Rockets, Ime Udoka

“I’m in love with this team,” Rockets legend Rudy Tomjanovich says of the 2023-24 team and its recent success. “I’m excited about basketball, again.”

Count Hall of Famer and legendary head coach Rudy Tomjanovich, who was in Houston for last Friday’s gala fundraiser to raise money (nearly $1 million) for the franchise’s Clutch City Foundation, among the biggest fans of what the current Rockets are doing.

Tomjanovich and several members of the 1993-94 Rockets, including Hall of Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon, were honored as part of a 30th anniversary celebration of the franchise’s first title.

While at the gala, “Rudy T” was asked about the 2023-24 Rockets, who entered Monday with eight straight wins and an NBA-best record of 10-1 in the month of March. It’s a striking turnaround from their placement in the Western Conference basement for three years.

As the current Rockets (35-35) chase a potential postseason berth, Tomjanovich made it clear he’s a big fan of the current team and its first-year head coach, Ime Udoka.

Here’s what he told Vanessa Richardson, courtside reporter for the team’s television broadcast partner, Space City Home Network:

I’m in love with this team. I’m excited about basketball, again. I watch all the time. It’s a great combination of youth, and I just love the veterans they added. Great role models for the young guys, and they can all play. The team is tough, and they’ve got a coach to match that, too. Intelligent, fiery. I couldn’t be more excited for our team.

The complete video can be viewed below.

With Udoka leading the way, the Rockets look to continue their current momentum when Portland (19-52) visits Toyota Center on Monday night. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. Central.

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Rudy Tomjanovich: ‘You’re not going to win big with young players’

Rudy Tomjanovich, or Rudy T as many call him, has been involved in the game of basketball throughout his entire life. Along with Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, and Bill Walton, Tomjanovich will be in Houston for the 2023 Final Four at an event …

Rudy Tomjanovich, or Rudy T as many call him, has been involved in the game of basketball throughout his entire life. Along with Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, and Bill Walton, Tomjanovich will be in Houston for the 2023 Final Four at an event called On Location, where they will engage with fans and take photos.

Tomjanovich was kind enough to sit down with HoopsHype to discuss his illustrious career, his Hall of Fame experience, X’s and O’s, and his thoughts on how the current league has moved away from traditional big men.

Garrison Mathews launches Rockets to third win in four games

Rockets coach Stephen Silas trusted Garrison Mathews down the stretch in Utah, and it paid off. “It is very important as a shooter to just keep your confidence, all the time.”

Former Houston Rockets coach and Hall of Famer Rudy Tomjanovich once told reporters that he would tell the team’s very best shooters, if they ever felt like they were in a shooting slump, to just keep shooting.

“Rudy T” could have passed that advice on when he met with second-year Rockets coach Stephen Silas last month, hours before a celebratory ceremony at Toyota Center to honor his Hall of Fame induction. In turn, Silas may have whispered it to guard Garrison Mathews at some point in the last few days to help him with his recent shooting woes.

Mathews, 25, had a terrible three-game stretch from Jan. 10 through Jan. 14 where he averaged 1.6 points and shot 1-for-11 from 3-point range, with that one make coming in the first game versus Philadelphia. Mathews was held scoreless for the first time all season in his next game at San Antonio, and he followed that performance up with another scoreless night in the first game of two in Sacramento.

Even though he was in a horrific shooting slump, Mathews never lost confidence in his 3-point shot, which earned him a four-year contract with the Rockets earlier this season. In a 118-112 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, Mathews finally broke out of his funk with 17 points on 4-of-6 shooting (66.7%) from 3-point range.

Then, with Houston needing a spark on Wednesday as an underdog in Utah, Mathews tied his career-high with 23 points and shot 5-for-9 (55.6%) on 3-pointers. That launched the Rockets to a 116-111 victory at Vivint Arena, giving Houston (14-32) a third win in its last four games.

“When you have a good shooting game, your confidence starts to build back up,” Mathews said postgame to reporters. “I had a tough few games, but that is just going to happen. The main thing for me is to not get so high or too low. When you are a shooter, you are going to have games like that or little stretches like that, but it is very important as a shooter to just keep your confidence all the time.”

Mathews gained the confidence of his coach on Monday night as he played 19 straight minutes off the bench to end the game. That would also seem to be an excellent indicator that Mathews has fully recovered from the time he missed due to COVID-related issues.

“He was so good, it was hard to take him out of the game,” said Silas, who kept Mathews in to close out Wednesday’s win while leaving highly touted rookie Jalen Green on the bench. “I was definitely concerned. I was waiting on a time he looked like he was running out of gas. He didn’t show that, so I kept him in the game. He fought defensively. He made big shots. It was hard to get him out of the game.”

Though the Rockets are 3-1 on their current five-game road trip, they will get a better gauge for how much improvement they’ve made when they face the Golden State Warriors (32-12) on Friday to finish it off.

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Rockets honor Hall of Fame coach Rudy Tomjanovich

“It is going to be awesome,” said Tomjanovich about the addition of his Hall of Fame honor added to his retired jersey at Toyota Center. “I didn’t get into the game for that kind of stuff. It’s kind of personal, playing the game and doing your job. “It’s just that feeling of accomplishment that you did something well.

A familiar face was in attendance on Thursday night for the Houston Rockets game against the New York Knicks. Hall of Fame head coach Rudy Tomjanovich was honored by the Rockets for his induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame earlier this year.

“It is going to be awesome,” said Tomjanovich about the addition of his Hall of Fame honor added to his retired jersey at Toyota Center. “I didn’t get into the game for that kind of stuff. It’s kind of personal, playing the game and doing your job. “It’s just that feeling of accomplishment that you did something well.

Tomjanovich played his entire career for Houston and was a five-time All-Star and is currently fourth all-time on the Rockets scoring list. After he retired from the NBA, he joined Houston’s coaching staff in 1981 as a team scout and became an assistant for two years.

When head coach Don Chaney resigned in 1992, Tomjanovich took over as interim and was eventually given the permanent job. During his tenure as the Rockets head coach, he helped lead them to back-to-back NBA Championships in 1994 and 1995.

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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Hall of Famer: Top career moments for Rockets legend Rudy Tomjanovich

With his Hall of Fame induction set for Saturday, we look back at some of the top career moments for “Rudy T” as an NBA player and coach.

On Saturday night, legendary Houston Rockets player and head coach Rudy Tomjanovich will be enshrined in Springfield, Massachusetts, as a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

“Rudy T” will be formally presented by fellow Hall of Famers Calvin Murphy and Hakeem Olajuwon. Tomjanovich played with Murphy throughout his 11-year career from 1970 until 1981, while Olajuwon was the star player during his two NBA titles in the 1990s as a coach.

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.

Over those years, Tomjanovich had his share of spectacular moments. Here’s our look back at some of the most memorable days.

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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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