Editing Houston Rockets (section)

{{Short description|National Basketball Association team in Houston}}
{{Pp|reason=Persistent [[WP:Disruptive editing|disruptive editing]] This has been going on forever. Enough.|small=yes}}
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{{Infobox basketball club
| name = Houston Rockets
| current = 2025–26 Houston Rockets season
| logo = Houston Rockets.svg
| imagesize = 170px
| conference = [[Western Conference (NBA)|Western]]
| division = [[Southwest Division (NBA)|Southwest]]
| founded = 1967
| history = '''San Diego Rockets'''<br />1967–1971<br />'''Houston Rockets'''<br />1971–present<ref>{{cite web|title=Rockets All-Time Record|url=https://d26dmzpiksq0q.cloudfront.net/shared/game-notes/rockets-media-guide.pdf#page=127|publisher=NBA Properties, Inc.|work=2023–24 Houston Rockets Media Guide|access-date=May 14, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Franchise History–NBA Advanced Stats|url=https://www.nba.com/stats/history|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC|website=NBA.com|access-date=May 14, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=NBA.com/Stats–Houston Rockets seasons|url=https://www.nba.com/stats/team/1610612745/seasons|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC|website=Stats.NBA.com|access-date=December 2, 2022}}</ref>
| arena = [[Toyota Center]]
| location = [[Houston|Houston, Texas]]
| colors = Red, black, gray, anthracite, white<ref>{{cite web|title=NBA LockerVision - Houston Rockets - Icon Edition - Story Guide|url=https://lockervision.nba.com/outfit/houston-rockets/icon-edition|publisher=NBA Properties, Inc.|website=LockerVision.NBA.com|access-date=January 2, 2023|quote=The Houston Rockets Icon Edition uniform is a progressive and unique red uniform. The Rockets brand is on display using the jersey wordmark “Rockets” across the chest, black trim around the neckline and arms, and black stripes running down the jersey meeting the same black stripe on the shorts.|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Houston Rockets Reproduction and Usage Guideline Sheet|url=https://cdn-assets-us.frontify.com/s3/frontify-enterprise-files-us/eyJwYXRoIjoibmJhXC9maWxlXC9EZ3gzM1J5WXZnNk5ZYTFFcDNIUC5wZGYifQ:nba:JMGv4m63xBJ8ChVWrE2iABwY1svdzxZR7pmMeEzmts4|publisher=NBA Properties, Inc.|access-date=March 1, 2025|url-status=live}}</ref><br />{{color box|#CE1141}} {{color box|#000000}} {{color box|#9EA2A2}} {{color box|#373A36}} {{color box|#FFFFFF}}
| sponsor = [[Credit Karma]]<ref>{{cite press release|title=Houston Rockets Announce Partnership with Credit Karma Money Including Jersey Patch Sponsorship|url=https://www.nba.com/resources/static/team/v2/rockets/20210804-credit-karma-press-release.pdf|publisher=NBA Media Ventures|website=NBA.com|date=July 28, 2021|access-date=October 19, 2021}}</ref>
| owner = [[Tilman Fertitta]]<ref>{{cite news|title=TILMAN J FERTITTA NEW OWNER OF THE HOUSTON ROCKETS|url=http://www.nba.com/rockets/news/tilman-j-fertitta-new-owner-houston-rockets|publisher=NBA Media Ventures|website=Rockets.com|date=October 6, 2017|access-date=December 17, 2017}}</ref>
| president = Gretchen Sheirr<ref>{{cite news|title=Rockets Promote Gretchen Sheirr to President of Business Operations|url=https://www.nba.com/rockets/news/rockets-promote-gretchen-sheirr-president-business-operations|publisher=NBA Media Ventures|website=Rockets.com|date=May 19, 2021|access-date=May 19, 2021}}</ref>
| gm = [[Rafael Stone]]
| coach = [[Ime Udoka]]
| affiliation = [[Rio Grande Valley Vipers]]
| league_champs = '''2''' ([[1994 NBA Finals|1994]], [[1995 NBA Finals|1995]])
| conf_champs = '''4''' ([[1981 NBA playoffs|1981]], [[1986 NBA playoffs|1986]], [[1994 NBA playoffs|1994]], [[1995 NBA playoffs|1995]])
| div_champs = '''9''' ([[1976–77 NBA season|1977]], [[1985–86 NBA season|1986]], [[1992–93 NBA season|1993]], [[1993–94 NBA season|1994]], [[2014–15 NBA season|2015]], [[2017–18 NBA season|2018]], [[2018–19 NBA season|2019]], [[2019–20 NBA season|2020]], [[2024–25 NBA season|2025]])
| ret_nums = '''7''' (<!-- Do not add Bill Russell. Only names hanging up in the arena should be listed here. -->[[Yao Ming|11]], [[Clyde Drexler|22]], [[Calvin Murphy|23]], [[Moses Malone|24]], [[Hakeem Olajuwon|34]], [[Elvin Hayes|44]], [[Rudy Tomjanovich|45]])
| website = {{URL|nba.com/rockets}}
| 1_title = Association
| 1_pattern_b = _houstonrockets_association
| 1_pattern_s = _houstonrockets_association
| 2_title = Icon
| 2_pattern_b = _houstonrockets_icon
| 2_pattern_s = _houstonrockets_icon
| 3_title = Statement
| 3_pattern_b = _houstonrockets_statement
| 3_pattern_s = _houstonrockets_statement
| 4_title = 
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}}

The '''Houston Rockets''' are an American professional [[basketball]] team based in [[Houston]]. The Rockets compete in the [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA) as a member of the [[Southwest Division (NBA)|Southwest Division]] of the [[Western Conference (NBA)|Western Conference]]. The team plays its home games at [[Toyota Center]], located in [[Downtown Houston]]. Throughout its history, Houston has won two [[List of NBA champions|NBA championships]] and four Western Conference titles. It was established in 1967 as the '''San Diego Rockets''', an [[expansion team]] originally based in [[San Diego]]. In 1971, the Rockets [[Relocation of professional sports teams|relocated]] to Houston.

The Rockets won only 15 games in their debut season as a franchise in 1967. In the [[1968 NBA draft]], the Rockets were awarded the [[List of first overall NBA draft picks|first overall pick]] and selected power forward [[Elvin Hayes]], who would lead the team to its [[1969 NBA playoffs|first playoff appearance]] in his rookie season. The Rockets did not finish a season with a winning record for almost a decade until the 1976–77 season, when they traded for [[List of NBA All-Stars|All-Star]] [[Center (basketball)|center]] [[Moses Malone]] from the [[American Basketball Association]] (ABA). Malone led Houston to the [[NBA Conference Finals|Eastern Conference Finals]] in [[1976–77 NBA season|his first year]] with the team. During the [[1980–81 NBA season|1980–81 season]], the Rockets finished the regular season with a 40–42 record but still made the [[1981 NBA playoffs|playoffs]]. Led by Malone, the Rockets reached their first [[NBA Finals]] in [[1981 NBA Finals|1981]], losing in six games to the [[Boston Celtics]].

In the [[1984 NBA draft]], once again with the first overall pick, the Rockets drafted center [[Hakeem Olajuwon]], who would become the cornerstone of the most successful period in franchise history. Paired with {{convert|7|ft|4|inch|m|adj=on}} [[Ralph Sampson]], they formed one of the tallest front courts in the NBA. Nicknamed the "Twin Towers", they led the team to the [[1986 NBA Finals]] where Houston was again defeated by the Boston Celtics. The Rockets continued to reach the playoffs throughout the 1980s, but failed to advance past the first round for several years following [[1987 NBA playoffs|1987]]. [[Rudy Tomjanovich]] took over as head coach midway through the 1991–92 season, ushering in the most successful period in franchise history. Led by Olajuwon, the Rockets dominated the 1993–94 season, setting a then-franchise record 58 wins and went to the [[1994 NBA Finals]] and won the franchise's first championship against the [[New York Knicks]]. During the [[1994–95 NBA season|following season]], reinforced by another All-Star, [[Clyde Drexler]], the Rockets repeated as champions with a four-game [[Whitewash (sport)|sweep]] of the [[Orlando Magic]].

The Rockets acquired all-star [[power forward (basketball)|power forward]] [[Charles Barkley]] in 1996, but were unable to advance past the Western Conference Finals. Each one of the aging trio of Olajuwon, Drexler, and Barkley had left the team by 2001. The Rockets of the early 2000s, led by superstars [[Tracy McGrady]] and [[Yao Ming]], followed the trend of consistent regular season respectability followed by playoff underachievement as both players struggled with injuries. After Yao's early retirement in 2011, the Rockets entered a period of rebuilding, completely dismantling and retooling their roster.

The acquisition of franchise player [[James Harden]] in 2012 launched the Rockets back into perennial championship contention throughout the rest of the 2010s, with no losing seasons in Harden's nine-season tenure with the team. Harden led the team to two [[NBA Conference Finals|Western Conference Finals]] appearances (both times losing to the [[Golden State Warriors]]). Prior to the [[2020–21 Houston Rockets season|2020–21 season]], head coach [[Mike D'Antoni]] and general manager [[Daryl Morey]] left the organization, prompting Harden to seek a trade. He was traded to the [[Brooklyn Nets]]{{refn|group=upper-alpha|name="JamesHardenPrior20–21"|January 16, 2021: [[Brooklyn Nets]] to Houston Rockets (four-team trade with [[Cleveland Cavaliers]] and [[Indiana Pacers]])<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|url=https://www.nba.com/nets/news/2021/01/14/brooklyn-nets-acquire-james-harden|title=Brooklyn Nets Acquire James Harden|date=January 14, 2021|publisher=National Basketball Association|access-date=June 23, 2022}}</ref><ref name="autogenerated2">{{cite web|url=https://www.nba.com/rockets/news/rockets-announce-revised-four-team-trade|title=Rockets Announce Revised Four-Team Trade|date=January 16, 2021|publisher=National Basketball Association|access-date=June 23, 2022}}</ref><ref name="autogenerated3">{{cite web|url=https://www.nba.com/pacers/news/pacers-acquire-caris-levert|title=Pacers Acquire Caris LeVert|date=January 16, 2021|publisher=National Basketball Association|access-date=June 23, 2022}}</ref>
* Houston acquired [[Victor Oladipo]], [[Dante Exum]], [[Rodions Kurucs]], a 2022 first-round draft selection, a 2024 first-round draft selection, a 2026 first-round draft selection, rights to swap first-round draft selections in 2021, 2023, 2025, and 2027, and a 2022 first-round draft selection (from Milwaukee)
* Brooklyn acquired [[James Harden]] and a 2024 second-round draft selection
* Cleveland acquired [[Jarrett Allen]] and [[Taurean Prince]]
* Indiana acquired [[Caris LeVert]] and two future second-round draft selections
}} which started a rebuilding period.

Moses Malone, Hakeem Olajuwon, and James Harden have been named the NBA's MVPs while playing for the Rockets, for a total of four MVP awards. The Rockets, when piloted by Morey, were renowned for popularizing the use of advanced statistical analytics (similar to [[sabermetrics]] in baseball) in player acquisitions and style of play.