Collecting the Heroes of H-Town
Clutch City.
Basketball in Houston is a story of dominant big men, elite scorers, near misses, Cinderella stories, and back-to-back titles. It’s the story of a franchise that went toe-to-toe with some of the game’s great dynasties, and a loyal fanbase.
Let’s take a look at just some of the ways that you can start collecting the Houston Rockets.
Rockets Mount Rushmore
Seven numbers hang from the Houston rafters. Our Mount Rushmore etches three of those legends into stone. The Dream, the Big E, and the Chairman of the Boards are joined by the Beard. MVP James Harden makes the list and no doubt will one day see his number 13 join the ranks of Houston basketball immortals.
1992 Topps Stadium Club Basketball Beam Team #16 Hakeem Olajuwon
Player Accomplishments
• 2x Champion
• 2x Finals MVP
• 6x First Team
Card Info
• Electric card from important 1992 Stadium Club Beam Team with spectacular player image of Olajuwon going for a rebound
Player Impact
• One of the most dominant and skillful players the game has ever seen
• Bridged the history of big man battles from Kareem to Shaq, beating both in the playoffs almost a decade apart.
2009 Topps Chrome Basketball #99 James Harden RC Gold Refractor /50
Player Accomplishments
• 2018 MVP
• 3X Scoring Champion
• 6x First Team
Card Info
• Harden’s most valuable Topps card from his rookie year with OKC
Player Impact
• Led a Rockets team who got closer than any Western Conference team to stopping the Warriors dynasty
• Took heliocentric offense to another level with his massive scoring effort and usage rate
1977 Topps Basketball #124 Moses Malone
Player Accomplishments
• 3X MVP
• 1983 Champion
• 12x All-Star
Card Info
• First Topps card at beginning of Malone’s incredible run with the Rockets
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Player Impact
• Won two MVP awards in Houston and led Rockets to first-ever Finals appearance
1970 Topps Basketball Score Leaders #2 Rebounds Leaders Jerry West / Lew Alcindor / Elvin Hayes
Player Accomplishments
• 1978 Champion
• 3X First-Team
• 12x All-Star
Card Info
• Unique triple card featuring Hayes with two other all-time legends
Player Impact
• Led the league in scoring as a rookie, an All-Star in his first four years, and a Houston basketball icon for his time with the Rockets and the University of Houston Cougars
Collecting Vintage Houston
The Rockets moved to Houston in 1971 after four seasons in San Diego. Out west, scoring machine Elvin Hayes provided the first memorable season in Rockets history, leading the league in scoring in 1968 as a rookie.
In 1980/81, Houston’s disappointing 40-42 regular season was swept aside by one of the great Cinderella runs in league history, as a team led by Moses Malone went to the Finals.
Calvin Murphy spent his entire career with the Rockets, and his service was rewarded with the retiring of his No. 23 jersey. In 1978, he scored a career-high 57 points against New Jersey.
Rudy T spent 30 years in the Rockets organization, after being taken second overall in the 1970 Draft. A five-time All-Star, he went on to help lead Houston to back-to-back titles as the team’s head coach in the ’90s. Tomjanovich has vintage offerings for collectors to grab, like this 1978 card. His RC can be found in 1971 Topps Basketball.
The Dream Begins
The story of the Houston Rockets changed forever when the team drafted Hakeem Olajuwon in 1984. By 1986, he was leading the team to the Finals. While it didn’t last long, the pairing of Olajuwon and fellow talented big man Ralph Sampson gave the Rockets a set of extremely skilled bigs to build around. However, by 1987, Sampson was traded.
Clutch City Champs
At first, it was Choke City, after Houston collapsed twice against the Phoenix Suns in the second round of the 1994 playoffs. But Choke became Clutch as the Rockets stormed back, eventually beating New York in a seven-game series in which Hakeem led the team in scoring in every game, outdueling fellow generational talent Patrick Ewing in the process.
Olajuwon was joined by All-Star Clyde Drexler in 1995, and the Rockets made the finals once more. However, a new rival big man had emerged in Orlando. The young Shaquille O’Neal squared off against a veteran Olajuwon, and The Dream put together a dominant performance. Shaq played well, but it wasn’t enough. Drexler’s Rockets cards include this Refractor and an entry in 1996 Topps Chrome Basketball.
While Olajuwon led the way, clutch role players like Sam Cassell and Robert Horry were key to getting Houston its only two titles to date. If you’re looking for big shots and big memories, chasing two of the players who put the clutch in Clutch City is a great way to go.
This 1993 Topps Finest Refractor is Cassell’s entry in the set that launched the Refractor era in The Basketball Hobby.
A year later, the two fan favorites were traded for Charles Barkley. While the Hall-of-Famer never got a ring, his outsized play and personality make him someone worth adding to a Rockets collection.
Ming and Mac
Yao Ming’s arrival in Houston launched the Rockets around the world. The Chinese star brought renewed attention to the franchise and opened the team up to a global fanbase.
This 2002 Topps Chrome Basketball RC, which features Ming’s name in Chinese, is a fantastic card to chase and has sold for as much as $14,700.
While postseason success evaded Tracy McGrady, Yao, and the Rockets in this era, McGrady still made three All-Star teams and finished top 10 in MVP voting three times. He scored 13 points in 35 seconds and helped the Rockets to a 22-game win streak.
T-Mac’s 1997 Topps Chrome Basketball RC is his most coveted card, but this fantastic 2008 option is a great choice if you want a card from his time with the Rockets.
The Beard
James Harden’s time in Houston included an MVP campaign, three MVP runner-up seasons, and three years with 30 or more points per game. His Rockets came closer than any other team to stopping the Warriors from getting to five straight Finals, falling just short in a classic seven-game tilt in 2018.
Capturing History Your Way
The story of the Rockets includes some of the game’s all-time greats, close calls, clutch plays, and championship parades. More than five and half decades in, the Rockets provide collectors old and new with a ton of opportunities to craft a special team collection.
