Tag: Yao Ming

Rockets legend Yao Ming leads FIBA Hall of Fame’s 2023 induction class

As part of the 2023 induction class, #Rockets legend Yao Ming was recently honored with a spot in the FIBA Hall of Fame.

In 2016, legendary Houston Rockets center Yao Ming was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2023, the 7-foot-5 big man was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame to honor a career that had a dramatic impact on basketball in Yao’s native country of China and throughout the world.

The FIBA Hall of Fame honors players, coaches, teams, referees, and administrators who have greatly contributed to international competitive basketball. It was established by FIBA in 1991.

Yao, who began his professional career with China’s Shanghai Sharks, played in a range of international competitions, including three Olympic Games and two world championships.

Success in those settings paved the way for Yao to join the NBA. He was drafted No. 1 overall by the Rockets in 2002. In eight seasons in Houston (2002-2010), Yao averaged 19 points (52.4% FG), 9.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 32.5 minutes per game.

Ultimately, his career was tragically cut short by various foot injuries. Yet, because of his on-court brilliance over that limited time and a unique personal story, Yao made a lasting impact.

Here’s a look at Yao’s induction speech. In all, 12 players were inducted as part of this year’s class, which was announced as part of activities surrounding the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

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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.

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: 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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Kobe Bryant’s 10 most memorable performances against the Rockets

On the one-year anniversary of Bryant’s tragic death, we look back at some of his most memorable NBA performances involving Houston.

Tuesday is the one-year anniversary of the passing of Kobe Bryant, an NBA legend. Bryant died on January 26, 2020 in a tragic helicopter crash, as did his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven others.

Bryant is survived by his wife, Vanessa, and three other daughters. He was 41 years old at the time of his January 2020 death.

During his legendary 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, Bryant was a five-time NBA champion; an 18-time All-Star; a two-time Olympic gold medalist; and an MVP, among numerous accolades.

Naturally, that legendary career meant he had his share of elite performances against every NBA franchise — and that’s certainly the case for playoff rivals in the Western Conference, like the Houston Rockets.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2ICAYb2jC4

Bryant appeared in 61 regular-season games against the Rockets from 1996 through 2016, with the Lakers going 35-26 (.574) in those contests. The future Hall of Fame guard averaged 26.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.5 steals, and he was also a valuable defender.

But Bryant and the Lakers really did their damage against the Rockets in the playoffs. During his career, the Lakers were a perfect 3-0 in playoff series versus Houston — including a 3-1 win in the 1999 first round, a 4-1 win in the 2004 first round, and a 4-3 triumph in the 2009 second round. In those three postseason series, Bryant averaged 24.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 2.3 steals per game.

Combining the playoffs and regular season, Bryant scored 40+ points nine times against the Rockets, including three games of 50+ points.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebZo5HQFpL8

Bryant’s first game versus the Rockets came at Houston’s former arena, The Summit, on Nov. 12, 1996. Then only 18 years old and fresh out of high school, Bryant scored two points in just five minutes.

Bryant’s last game against Houston came on April 10, 2016 at Toyota Center, and it was his third-to-last game in the NBA. He scored 35 points in just 27 minutes, but the Rockets got a bit of revenge with a 130-110 win. James Harden led the way for Houston with 40 points and 13 assists.

Naturally, though, his most memorable games against the Rockets came in between his debut and that farewell game. Here’s a look back at what stood out the most over Bryant’s 20 seasons against Houston.

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History on This Day: Rockets select Yao Ming as the No. 1 overall pick

On this day in 2002, the Rockets select 7-foot-6 center Yao Ming, of the Shanghai Sharks, with the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft.

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On this day in 2002, the Houston Rockets selected 7-foot-6 center Yao Ming, previously of the Shanghai Sharks, with the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft.

The selection marked the first time a player who had played neither high school nor college basketball in the United States was the top selection in the NBA Draft. Upon entering the NBA, Yao instantly became a global icon given his large fanbase in China.

Yao eventually played eight years in the NBA with the Rockets, averaging 19 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 486 career games. In 2003, he became the first rookie since Grant Hill in 1995 to be named an All-Star as a rookie and eventually earned that honor each year played in the NBA.

Yao retired in 2011 after suffering several injuries during the back-end of his career. He was named to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016 and his No. 11 has been retired by the Rockets organization.

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Today in 2005: Tracy McGrady has epic dunk, game winner in Dallas

In the same 2005 playoff game,, Rockets star Tracy McGrady had an epic dunk over Dallas center Shawn Bradley and the game-winning shot.Ho

According to the legendary call by TNT announcer Kevin Harlan, Houston Rockets star Tracy McGrady “sucked the gravity right out of the building” with his Game 2 dunk over 7-foot-6 Dallas center Shawn Bradley in the first round of the 2005 NBA playoffs.

Later in that same game on April 25, 2005, McGrady hit the game-winning shot with two seconds left to give Houston a 2-0 lead in the series.

McGrady finished with 28 points (52.6% FG) and 10 assists, while All-Star center Yao Ming had 33 points on an astonishing 13-of-14 shooting (92.9%). It led to a thrilling 113-111 road win (box score) by the Rockets.

Unfortunately for the Rockets, Dirk Nowitzki’s Mavericks rallied to win each of the next two games in Houston. That put the Western Conference’s No. 4 and No. 5 seeds back on level footing, and Dallas won at home in Game 5 and Game 7 to ultimately advance.

Nonetheless, that Game 2 was among the highest points of the McGrady-Yao partnership — and a reminder of what possibly could have been in future years, had the All-Stars been able to stay healthy.

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Today in history: Yao shoots 100% as Rockets rout Blazers in Game 1

Yao Ming had 24 points on perfect shooting, while Aaron Brooks scored a game-high 27 as Houston shocked Portland in the 2009 playoff opener.

It was 11 years ago today when All-Star center Yao Ming made all nine of his shots in the 2009 playoff opener, leading his Houston Rockets to a 108-81 win (box score) in Game 1 of the 2009 playoffs at Portland.

The 7-foot-5 big man had 24 points and and a game-high nine rebounds, while point guard Aaron Brooks led the Rockets with 27 points (5-of-8 shooting on 3-pointers) and seven assists. Luis Scola and Ron Artest added 19 points and 17 points, respectively, in the blowout victory.

Yao also made all six of his free throws, making it a perfect shooting game for the future Hall of Famer.

Limited by strong defense from the likes of Artest and Shane Battier, Portland stars Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge combined for 28 points on just 13-of-35 shooting (37.1%).

The teams entered that first-round series evenly matched on paper, with the No. 4 Trail Blazers (54-28) finishing just one game ahead of the No. 5 Rockets (53-29) in the 2008-09 regular season.

The Game 1 victory — which can be seen below in its entirety — ultimately proved crucial, since the home team won every other game in the series. By virtue of taking that Game 1 on the road, the Rockets were able to close out the Blazers with a 92-76 home win in Game 6.

That represented the first series victory for the Rockets in the NBA playoffs since the 1996-97 season, which was over a decade earlier.

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Today in Rockets history: Yao Ming holds off Kobe, Lakers at Staples

In the No. 3 scoring game of his career, Yao Ming had 39 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocks in a road win over Kobe Bryant’s Lakers.

In an epic battle of future Hall of Famers, Yao Ming and the visiting Houston Rockets held off Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in a 107-104 overtime win (box score) on March 30, 2007 at Staples Center.

Bryant scored a game-high 53 points, though it took him 44 shots to get there. (He made 19 of them for a respectable 43.2% shooting clip.) While Rockets guard and fellow Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady did score 30 points, Bryant’s defense helped limit him to just 29.2% shooting.

McGrady did have 10 assists, as compared to just two assists by Bryant. “I was fine with our defense on Bryant,” Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said postgame (game recap). “I didn’t have much problem with that. He’s a great player. He took a ton of shots. There’s only so much you can do.”

The real difference between the teams was inside, where Yao scored 39 points on just 18 shots, making 11 (61.1%). He also grabbed 11 rebounds, blocked four shots, and shot 21 free throws, making 17 of them (81.0%). It was the third-highest scoring game of Yao’s NBA career.

It all proved to be too much for the Lakers and Kwame Brown, who had 15 points and seven rebounds in 40 minutes. Brown and Yao were selected No. 1 overall in the 2001 NBA Draft and in 2002, respectively.

“Obviously Tracy was struggling from the floor,” Van Gundy said postgame. “Yao came through in a big way.” The 7-foot-5 center finished the 2006-07 season averaging 25.0 points per game, which was the highest single-season total of Yao’s eight-year NBA career.

The win improved Houston to 47-26 and dropped the Lakers to 38-34. The two sides finished fifth and seventh in the 2007 Western Conference standings, with each losing in the first round of the 2007 NBA playoffs.

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Today in Rockets history: Yao Ming has epic battle with Dirk Nowitzki

On this day in 2006, Yao Ming had a game-high 36 points (70.6% FG) and 12 rebounds in an epic battle against Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavs.

The 2005-06 NBA campaign was largely a lost season for the Houston Rockets due to injuries, but they also flashed their potential on several occasions and showed promise for better days ahead.

One of those promising days was March 15, 2006, when star center Yao Ming had a game-high 36 points (70.6% shooting) and 12 rebounds against future NBA MVP Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks.

Despite Yao’s strong showing, the Mavericks still won the game, 95-81 (box score). That was in large part due to Nowitzki, who led the Mavs with 30 points (50% shooting) and 11 rebounds. The victory improved Dallas to 51-14, and they went on that season to win 60 games and eventually the Western Conference, advancing to the 2006 NBA Finals.

The 2005-06 Rockets finished 34-48, largely due to 25 games missed by Yao and 35 absences from co-star Tracy McGrady due to injury. McGrady did not play in the March 15 home loss to the Mavs.

In postgame comments, NBA veterans Jason Terry and Jerry Stackhouse (then with the Mavs) offered extensive praise for Yao’s performance.

Terry on Yao: An animal. He is playing like a beast. He is playing real aggressive. This is the best I have seen him play since he’s been in the league.

Stackhouse on Yao: This is the best I have ever seen him play. He’s the best center in the NBA right now on one end [offensive] of the court. Every team has to focus on him more than any other center in the NBA, even Shaq [O’Neal].

With better health, the Rockets won 52 or more games in each of the franchise’s next three seasons, including the 2008-09 squad that — led by their 7-foot-5 center from China — became the first Houston team in over a decade to win a series in the NBA playoffs.

Drafted No. 1 overall in the 2002 NBA Draft, Yao averaged 19.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 32.7 minutes per game over his first seven seasons with the Rockets from 2002 through 2009.

Though his career was cut short after 2009 due to a recurring foot injury, Yao’s career impact (on and off the court) was significant enough that he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016.

(Editor’s note: With the 2019-20 season on hiatus amid 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.)

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