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4.6k voters

The Best Houston Rockets of All Time

Updated February 25, 2020 33.3k votes 4.6k voters 63.6k views73 items

List RulesPlease rank the players based only on their time with the Rockets

A list of the best Houston Rockets of all time. For much of its history, the Houston Rockets have been one of the most consistent teams in the NBA. The team has had few poor seasons and they have, it's been to the Rockets benefit. The few times that Houston has had the number one draft pick, the team has struck gold landing some of the greatest players in team history. Few, if any, basketball experts would dispute that Elvin Hayes, Ralph Sampson, Hakeem Olajuwon and Yao Ming are among the best centers ever. All of have played center for Houston and all were drafted with the top overall pick in the NBA Draft. Though he wasn't drafted by Houston, Moses Malone is another great big man who has played for the Rockets.

While the Rockets have a rich history with big men, even having some of the best players ever on its roster, that doesn't mean the team has neglected other positions. Calvin Murphy is one of the best free shooting guards ever and the team's acquisition of James Harden made the Rockets one of the most dangerous in the league. Harden is considered one of the best current players in the NBA.

Nowadays, he is known to the masses as an announcer, but Kenny Smith's clutch shooting in the 1995 NBA Finals is one of the greatest in Rockets history and helped them win a second consecutive championship.

This is a list of the best Houston Rockets ever. If you see someone who is missing, feel free to add him. Vote or rerank this list of the greatest Houston Rockets of all time with who you think should be at the top.

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Hakeem Olajuwon
Center
Age: 57
Birthplace: Lagos, Nigeria
Teams: Houston Rockets, Toronto Raptors
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#1 of 50 The Greatest African NBA Players of All Time#3 of 107 The Best Foreign NBA Players of All Time
2
2,308
555
James Harden
Shooting guard
Age: 31
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California
Number: 13
Teams: Brooklyn Nets
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The Best Harden Vol. 3 Colorways, Ranked#2 of 54 The Most Hated Active NBA Players
3
1,191
269
Clyde Drexler
Shooting guard
Age: 58
Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
Teams: Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets
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#640 of 1,427 The Best Athletes Of All Time#21 of 32 The Best NBA Shooting Guards of the 90s
4
1,317
380
Moses Malone
Power forward, Center
Age: 64
Birthplace: Virginia
Teams: Washington Wizards, Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, Buffalo Braves, Houston Rockets
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#22 of 31 The Best Power Forwards of the 1990s#3 of 27 The Best Centers of the 70s
5
1,580
458
Yao Ming
Center
Age: 39
Birthplace: Shanghai, China
Teams: Houston Rockets
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#22 of 161 The Best NBA Players With No Championship Rings#24 of 165 The Greatest NBA Centers of All Time
6
1,698
537
Tracy McGrady
Shooting guard, Small forward
Age: 41
Birthplace: Bartow, Florida, United States of America
Teams: Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic, Toronto Raptors
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#18 of 143 Athletes Whose Careers Ended Too Soon#12 of 26 The Best Dunkers In NBA History
7
561
179
Calvin Murphy
Point guard
Age: 72
Birthplace: Norwalk, Connecticut, United States of America
Teams: Houston Rockets, San Diego Rockets
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#111 of 175 The Greatest Shooting Guards in NBA History#10 of 25 The Best NBA Point Guards of the 1970s
8
673
272
Elvin Hayes
Power forward, Center
Age: 74
Birthplace: Rayville, Louisiana
Teams: Washington Wizards, Baltimore Bullets, Houston Rockets, San Diego Rockets
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#11 of 25 The Best Power Forwards of the 80s#8 of 22 The Best NBA Centers of the 1960s
9
690
188
Chris Paul
Point guard
Age: 35
Birthplace: Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States of America
Number: 3
Teams: Phoenix Suns
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The Coolest Chris Paul Signature Shoes, Ranked#103 of 107 The Greatest Lakers of All Time
10
538
200
Robert Horry
Small forward, Power forward
Age: 49
Birthplace: Maryland, United States of America
Teams: Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers
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#14 of 22 The Best Small Forwards of the 90s#17 of 56 People Who Should Be in the Basketball Hall of Fame
11
539
228
Ralph Sampson
Center
Age: 59
Birthplace: Harrisonburg, Virginia, United States of America
Teams: Washington Wizards, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors
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#17 of 30 The Best NBA Centers of the '90s#7 of 25 NBA Players Whose Careers Ended Too Soon
12
565
238
Kenny Smith
Point guard
Age: 55
Birthplace: Jamaica, New York City, New York, United States of America
Teams: Atlanta Hawks, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic, Denver Nuggets
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#6 of 51 The Greatest UNC Tar Heels Basketball Players of All Time#24 of 27 The Best '90s Point Guards
13
319
113
Vernon Maxwell
Shooting guard
Age: 55
Birthplace: Gainesville, Florida
Teams: Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings, Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic
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#18 of 94 The Best NBA Players from Florida#8 of 52 The Greatest Florida Basketball Players of All Time

14
634
320
Steve Francis
Point guard, Shooting guard
Age: 42
Birthplace: USA, Takoma Park, Maryland
Teams: Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic, New York Knicks
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#210 of 227 The Greatest Offensive Players in NBA History#40 of 69 All NBA Rookie Of The Year Award Winners, Ranked
15
382
161
Rudy Tomjanovich
Power forward
Age: 71
Birthplace: Hamtramck, Detroit, Michigan
Teams: Houston Rockets, San Diego Rockets
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#10 of 46 The Greatest Michigan Basketball Players of All Time#80 of 232 The Best White Players in NBA History
16
438
186
Dikembe Mutombo
Center
Age: 53
Birthplace: Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Teams: Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets
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#4 of 22 The Greatest Georgetown Basketball Players of All Time#20 of 47 Athletes With the Coolest Post-Sports Careers
17
336
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Eric Gordon
Shooting guard
Age: 32
Birthplace: Indianapolis, Indiana
Number: 10
Teams: Houston Rockets
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#9 of 65 The Greatest Indiana Hoosiers Basketball Players of All Time#28 of 76 The Best Point Guards Currently in the NBA
18
363
165
Otis Thorpe
Power forward, Center
Age: 58
Birthplace: Boynton Beach, Florida
Teams: Washington Wizards, Kansas City Kings, Sacramento Kings, Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets
19
690
381
Charles Barkley
Power forward
Age: 57
Birthplace: Leeds, Alabama, United States of America
Number: 34
Teams: Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers
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22 Times Charles Barkley Made Everyone LOL#10 of 135 The Best Small Forwards of All Time
20
329
148
Sam Cassell
Point guard
Age: 51
Birthplace: Baltimore, Maryland
Teams: Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, Brooklyn Nets, Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets
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#130 of 256 The Top NBA Players Of All Time#49 of 133 The Best Boston Celtics of All Time
21
350
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Clint Capela
Center
Number: 15
Teams: Atlanta Hawks, Houston Rockets
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#58 of 130 The Best European NBA Players of All Time#74 of 102 The Most Likable Players In The NBA Today
22
268
130
Shane Battier
Shooting guard, Small forward
Age: 42
Birthplace: Birmingham, Michigan
Number: 31
Teams: Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies
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#6 of 76 The Greatest Duke Basketball Players of All Time#47 of 163 The Smartest Professional Athletes
23
175
63
Mario Elie
Shooting guard, Small forward
Age: 56
Birthplace: New York City, New York
Teams: Phoenix Suns, Philadelphia 76ers, Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors
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#506 of 874 Big Grid relations#73 of 347 The Best NBA Players from New York

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303
174
Trevor Ariza
Shooting guard, Small forward
Age: 35
Birthplace: Miami, Florida
Number: 0
Teams: Sacramento Kings
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#19 of 42 The Greatest UCLA Basketball Players of All Time#67 of 126 The Best NBA Buys for the Money
25
154
24
P. J. Tucker
Small forward
Age: 34
Birthplace: Raleigh, North Carolina
Number: 17
Teams: Houston Rockets
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#151 of 168 The Greatest Power Forwards in NBA History#119 of 294 The Top 100+ NBA Players Today

Clint Capela