Houston Rockets Articles - Page 96

Ex-Houston Rockets head coach Kevin McHale’s decision to keep James Harden on the bench during Houston’s improbable comeback versus the L.A. Clippers in Game 6 of the 2016 Western Conference Semifinals helped deliver a key playoff victory—but it may have eventually cost McHale his job. Former Rockets forward Josh Smith—who sparked Houston’s memorable comeback with […]

To celebrate 74 years of the NBA, ESPN recently ranked the top 74 players in league history, and like any list of the best players of all-time, there were controversial choices. Some of them were debatable — Kobe Bryant in the top 10 is probably a stretch, but it’s still hard to complain. Some of […]

The Houston Rockets are joining the list of NBA teams re-opening their practice facility for individual workouts. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported Rockets president Daryl Morey said the team will officially re-open its facility on Monday. The Houston Rockets are re-opening facility for voluntary workouts on Monday, @dmorey says. — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 16, […]

Longtime Houston Rockets forward Shane Battier revealed the reason why he infamously defended Kobe Bryant with a hand to the face. The defensive specialist had plenty of wars with the Los Angeles Lakers great during his time in the league, and he insists defending Bryant like that wasn’t a matter of blocking his vision. In […]

If Scottie Pippen was in line for a new deal in today’s NBA, he’d be offered one of the most lucrative contracts in the league. A great defender and solid scorer, Pippen would be a headline acquisition for any team. With that in mind, we’re going to look at Scottie Pippen’s NBA contracts. Contracts looked […]

Several high-profile NBA stars held a private conference call on Monday, but the group on the line notably did not include Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden, according to Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes. ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins, per Dan Feldman of NBC Sports, confirmed Harden was indeed absent. The All-Stars that were on the call included: […]

Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is doing whatever he can to make sure his players have proper training facilities in the time of COVID-19. Clippers head coach Doc Rivers told his son, Houston Rockets guard Austin Rivers, the players and coaching staff were given Peloton bikes and weights, among other types of workout equipment. The […]

The first couple of episodes of “The Last Dance” revolved around how Scottie Pippen was one of the most underpaid players in the entire NBA during the 1990s. After winning six titles in Chicago, though, the 6-foot-8 swingman finally got his much-deserved payday when he joined the Houston Rockets on a $67 million deal in […]

Jeremy Lin is the owner of one of the most compelling narratives in the history of the NBA. From a virtually unknown player, the 6-foot-3 point guard became a household name practically overnight. He made such a tremendous impact during his time with the New York Knicks, that his amazing rise to fame even earned […]

China’s CCTV released a statement on Tuesday saying that it is not planning on televising NBA games upon the league’s return. The relationship between the TV station and the league is clearly still fractured after Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey’s tweet in defense of the Hong Kong protests last October. As ESPN’s Brian Windhorst […]

NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal believes that the 2019-20 NBA season should be canceled for safety reasons and for the fact that any team who wins the title this year will have an asterisk to their victory. However, for Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey, this situation is exactly why his team is bound to win […]

Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey has some very strong feelings about the mega-hit docu-series The Last Dance. Recently, the 47-year-old team executive shared how uninterested he is in watching the show. As a matter of fact, Morey even went as far as saying that in a life-or-death situation, he would rather choose death instead […]

Tom Thibodeau has been one of the hottest tickets of late, with several teams reportedly looking at the 62-year-old to become their next head coach. Interested teams include the New Jersey Nets, Houston Rockets, and the New York Knicks. For his part, Tom Thibodeau has now addressed the rumors, saying that at this point, there […]

In 2015, Houston Rockets superstar James Harden had his No. 13 jersey retired by his alma mater, Arizona State. As it turns out, Harden’s number is set to be un-retired this coming season, with the former league MVP giving his blessing to one Josh Christopher. Christopher, a five-star recruit coming out of Mayfair High School, […]

Though he’s turning 69 on Friday and at a greater risk of contracting COVID-19, Mike D’Antoni would have no problem with returning to the sidelines as coach of the Houston Rockets if this season resumes. Via ESPN: Rockets sources said that D’Antoni has determined that he would coach if the season resumes in large part […]

The Houston Rockets have had plenty of elite-caliber players pass through their organization since their early days in the late ’60s and ’70s. The list at small forward is slim, though, with only five players who can claim the right to be considered among the cream of the crop. These are the best five small forwards […]

The Houston Rockets are among the NBA teams that can open their practice facility on Friday. However, they won’t do so. According to Marc Stein of the New York Times, the Rockets are going to wait until May 18th in accordance with the decision of Texas Governor Greg Abbott to allow gyms to re-open statewide […]

Coach Mike D’Antoni is set to become a free agent after the 2019-20 season. While he could still sign an extension with the Houston Rockets, various reports reveal that D’Antoni’s future is still in the balance. As such, the Rockets are rumored to be eyeing Jeff Van Gundy as a possible replacement. There have been […]

The Houston Rockets had a record of 40-24 before the season was suspended due to COVID-19. The team had the second-best offense in the NBA in terms of points per game, as Houston was averaging 118.1 points per night with MVPs James Harden and Russell Westbrook leading the charge. However, the Rockets were once again a […]

In the event that Mike D’Antoni leaves the Houston Rockets, the team is reportedly interested in hiring Tom Thibodeau as head coach. As reported by Marc Berman of the New York Post, several teams “will have strong interest” in Thibodeau as their new head coach. These include the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets, […]

If dunking is an art form, then Houston Rockets All-Star Russell Westbrook should be viewed as a master craftsman. The NBA has known several great rim rockers over the years, but few have matched Westbrook’s explosive power. In this piece, we’ll take a look back at what we believe to be the best dunks of […]

While some fans might be quick to assign an asterisk to this year’s NBA champions, Houston Rockets guard Austin Rivers feels differently. The coronavirus pandemic has thrown the sporting world for a loop, including the NBA. League officials are grappling with the best ways to possibly resume and finish the 2019-20 season. Though nothing is […]

The Houston Rockets and general manager Daryl Morey have become pioneers of the NBA’s analytics movement in recent years, which is why they’ve employed coaches like Mike D’Antoni, have played essentially without a true big man and shoot more 3-pointers than just about any other team in league history. With that being said, former Rockets […]

Austin Rivers, 27, is eight years into his NBA career, but the Houston Rockets guard is already making plans for life after professional basketball. Perhaps not surprisingly, he’s considering following in his father’s footsteps. Of course, Austin’s father, Doc, was a one-time All-Star guard before becoming a championship-winning head coach. Now, his son seems to […]

It is no secret that the playing style of Utah Jazz dynamic guard Donovan Mitchell has often been compared to that of Houston Rockets high-flyer Russell Westbrook. The two, after all, use their athleticism to the fullest and carry the same score-first mentality. In a video interview with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, however, Mitchell admitted that […]

Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta has made his share of dubious decisions since purchasing the team from former owner Leslie Alexander. Furthermore, Fertitta’s restaurant empire has seen its share of troubles during this coronavirus pandemic, as the magnate has furloughed a bevy of his employees to keep the business alive. Some have suggested he should […]

The Houston Rockets had a record of 40-24 before the season was suspended due to COVID-19, putting them in sixth place in the Western Conference standings. Behind the stellar play of MVPs James Harden and Russell Westbrook, the Rockets were averaging 118.1 points per game, which was good for second in the NBA. However, as has […]

Jeremy Lin’s breakout with the New York Knicks during the 2011-12 NBA season remains one of the most unlikely rises in basketball history. With downtime due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lin revealed an interesting tidbit from around that time in his career: he actually wanted a lower offer from the Houston Rockets in restricted free […]

The first time the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers faced off in the NBA Finals was in 2015. The Dubs went on to win that series, 4-2, en route to their first dynasty championship. Former Cavs big man Kendrick Perkins remembers that series quite well, and according to him, Cleveland actually hoped to […]

Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon recently opened up about his team’s championship aspirations. According to the former Sixth Man of the Year winner, he believes that for his team, consistency is going to be key. ” You know to be honest,” the Rockets talent said, via Kelly Iko of The Athletic. “If we’re ever going […]

Houston Rockets swingman Eric Gordon has chimed in on the current discussion about potentially resuming the season in the near future. According to Gordon, his primary concern is the fitness of the players, with everyone having been in quarantine over the past month or so. In his mind, the players would need around a month […]

Much like the rest of the basketball world, Houston Rockets forward Robert Covington is enjoying ESPN’s 10-part docu-series “The Last Dance”. In a Q&A session on Monday with NBA TV, the 29-year-old winger revealed that he idolized Scottie Pippen growing up and even patterned his game to the Chicago Bulls legend. “My favorite player growing […]

Before the 2019-20 season was suspended due to COVID-19, the Houston Rockets had a record of 40-24. The team was in the sixth spot in the Western Conference standings. In the first season of the James Harden-Russell Westbrook era, the Rockets had the second-best offense in the NBA in terms of points per game. Houston […]

The Golden State Warriors franchise was established in 1946 (then the Philadelphia Warriors), and it has had a long line of success through the decades. However, it is a known fact that this team’s most successful stint came during the mid-/late-2010’s as they won an unprecedented three titles in five seasons. It was also in […]

During his appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” Houston Rockets superstar point guard Russell Westbrook told an awesome and funny Michael Jordan story. Westbrook spoke about the time he was around 10 or 11 and went to a Jordan camp in California. At the end of the camp, all the kids were lining […]

When it comes to competitive sports, few others compare to the intensity of the NBA Playoffs. As such, this annual event has brought about some of the most memorable individual performances in the history of the sport. As they say, the best of them shine when the lights are the brightest. Below we take a […]

Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen is widely considered as one of the most underrated stars ever. During The Last Dance documentary, we all realized one of the reasons behind the scenes: he was extremely underpaid during his time in Chicago. So much so, that tensions brought about by contract negotiations between Pippen and the team’s […]

The Houston Rockets have two championships and 33 total playoff appearances, numbers that speak to how excellent the organization has been over the course of history. Fans usually think of Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, Yao Ming, Charles Barkley, Tracy McGrady, and James Harden when someone brings up the Rockets. Houston has certainly been home to […]

The 1984 NBA Draft is considered by many to be the greatest draft in league history, mainly because both Hakeem Olajuwon and Michael Jordan went in the top three. Olajuwon went to the Houston Rockets at No. 1, and Jordan was taken by the Chicago Bulls at No. 3. The less said about the Portland […]