Houston Rockets Biography: Players, Net Worth, History, and Stats

The Houston Rockets are a member of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the NBA. The team has recorded a lot of achievements since it was founded in 1967. Since its establishment in the 60s as the San Diego Rockets, an expansion team has faced a lot of ups and downs. In 1971, the Rockets relocated to Houston while changing their game play.

Houston Rockets Profile

Throughout Houston Rockets’ history, they have managed to clinch 2 championships and four Western Conference titles. The Rockets won only 15 games in their debut of the season. This article tells you the whole story about the Rockets.

Team Information	Details
Founded	1967
Owner	Tilman Fertitta
City	Houston
Nickname	Clutch City
Stadium	Toyota Center
Capacity	18,104
Conference	Western
Division	Southwest
Head Coach	Ime Udoka
Networth	$5.7 Billion

Houston Rockets History

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 first overall pick and selected power forward Elvin Hayes, who would lead the team to its first playoff appearance in his rookie season. During the 1980–81 season, the Rockets finished the regular season with a 40–42 record but still made the playoffs. Led by Malone, the Rockets reached their first NBA Finals in 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 7-foot-4-inch (2.24 m) Ralph Sampson, they formed one of the tallest front courts in the NBA. They led the team to the 1986 NBA Finals where Houston was again defeated by the Boston Celtics. 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.

The Rockets acquired all-star power forward Charles Barkley in 1996, but were unable to advance past the Western Conference Finals. Each one of the trio of Olajuwon, Drexler, and Barkley had left the team by 2001. After Yao’s early retirement in 2011, the Rockets entered a period of rebuilding, completely dismantling and retooling their roster.

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Houston Rockets Stats

The Houston Rockets’ current season stats are looking promising. With 37 wins they are placed at 5th position in the NBA Western Conference. Their PPG is 112.6, REB 48.1, and APG 22.5. Here is the breakdown of their standings in the past seasons of the NBA.

Season	GP	W	L	Win %	Division Rank	Conference Rank
2024-25	61	37	24	.607	2nd	5th
2023-24	82	41	41	.500	3rd	11th
2022-23	82	22	60	.268	4th	14th
2021-22	82	20	62	.244	Last	Last
2020-21	72	17	55	.236	0th	0th
2019-20	72	44	28	.611	1st	4th
2018-19	82	53	29	.646	1st	4th
2017-18	82	65	17	.793	1st	1st
2016-17	82	55	27	.671	2nd	3rd
2015-16	82	41	41	.500	4th	8th
2014-15	82	56	26	.683	1st	2nd

Houston Rockets Famous Players

The Rockets have had some all-time great scorers that span multiple eras from 1970s icons like Rudy Tomjanovich and Elvin Hayes to contemporary stars like James Harden. Moreover, we have listed all the superstar players from Houston Rockets below:

5. Elvin Hayes

Elvin Hayes, a dominant force at both forward and center positions, was a cornerstone for the early Rockets teams of the late 60s and early 70s. “The Big E” had two great stints with the Rockets over his 16-year career. Elvin was an All-Star in each of his first four seasons and averaged a league-leading 28.4 points per game as a rookie. Elvin Hayes’ Rookie Season was one of the greatest in the NBA history.

4. Rudy Tomjanovich

Younger fans may be more familiar with Tomjanovich’s coaching achievements. However, Rudolph Tomjanovich Jr. was once famous for his two NBA Championships with the Houston Rockets. Rudy was a 5X All-Star who averaged over 20 points per game in four different seasons with the franchise. The former basketball player has also coached Team USA to the gold medal in men’s basketball at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Furthermore, after all his achievements, Tomjanovich’s No. 45 jersey is retired in Houston now.

3. Calvin Murphy

Calvin Jerome Murphy is a Former NBA player who played as a guard for the San Diego/Houston Rockets from 1970 to 1983. Murphy had a historic collegiate career at Niagara, where he averaged 33.1 points per game over his 3 years. The former guard is currently an active member of the Houston Rockets’ Space City Home Network broadcast team. Interestingly, Murphy, despite being one of the greats, has the position of being the shortest NBA player, as he is 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m) tall.

2. James Harden

“The Beard” has been one of the best players in the NBA in the 2010s and 2020s. His career truly took off during his run with the Rockets. He was an All-Star in each of his nine seasons in Houston with one MVP and three scoring titles to his credit in that stretch. Harden’s days in Houston may be over, but he is still a productive player with the Clippers. 

1. Hakeem Olajuwon

Hakeem’s fingerprints are all over the Rockets’ record books. Hakeem carries the title of being the franchise’s all-time leader in points, steals, rebounds and blocks. Olajuwon led the Rockets to both of their NBA championships in 1994 and 1995 and was the 1994 NBA MVP. His 26,511 points ranked 15th in all-time record, but current players like James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Stephen Curry are all within striking distance of surpassing him. 

Houston Rockets Roster

The Rockets have a talented young core, including Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., and Alperen Sengun, who can develop and grow together. Below we have listed how this year’s team roster looks:

These Stats are taken from ESPN –

Player Name	Position	Age	Salary
Steven Adams	Center	31	$12,600,000
Dillon Brooks	Small Forward	29	$22,255,493
N’Faly Dante	Center	23	–
Tari Eason	Forward	23	$3,695,160
Jalen Green	Small Guard	23	$12,483,048
Jeff Green	Point Forward	38	$8,000,000
Aaron Holiday	Guard	28	$4,668,000
Jock Landale	Center	29	$8,000,000
Jack McVeigh	Guard	28	–
Alperen Sengun	Center	22	$5,424,654
Reed Sheppard	Guard	20	$10,098,960
Jabari Smith Jr.	Point Forward	21	$9,770,880
Jae’Sean Tate	Small Forward	29	$7,565,217
Amen Thompson	Forward	22	$9,249,960
Fred VanVleet	Point Guard	31	$42,846,615
Cam Whitmore	Forward	20	$3,379,080
Nate Williams	Guard	26	–
Cody Zeller	Center	32	$3,500,000

Houston Rockets Head Coach

The title of Houston Rockets’ head coach is carried by Ime Udoka. The former NBA player has represented the Nigeria national team during his career. After his retirement, Udoka served as an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers, and even Brooklyn Nets. After completing his assistant coach journey, Udoka became the head coach of the Boston Celtics, whom he led to the NBA Finals in 2022. After Udoka was suspended for the entire 2022–23 season for engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a Celtics female employee, he was hired by the Rockets in April 2023.

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Houston Rockets Owner

The Houston Rockets team is owned by Tilman Fertitta, he is the owner and chairman of Landry Incorporation.  Fertitta has been the chairman of the board of regents of the University of Houston System since 2009. As of February 2025, his net worth was estimated at $10.8 billion. He was placed at No. 99 on the Forbes 400 list. Fertitta became the star of Billion Dollar Buyer on CNBC. On September 5, 2017, Fertitta reached an agreement to buy the Houston Rockets for $2.2 billion.

Houston Rockets Net Worth

According to Forbes, the Rockets are valued at $4.9 billion, making them one of the most valuable NBA teams. The Rockets’ operating income is $160 million, and their player expenses are $145 million. The Rockets’ revenue per fan is $33, based on local revenues divided by the metro population. Leslie Alexander bought the Rockets in 1993 for $85 million. In 2017, Alexander sold the Rockets to Tilman Fertitta for $2.2 billion, creating an NBA record. 

Houston Rockets Stadium

Toyota Center is an indoor arena located in Houston, Texas, United States. The arena is home to the Houston Rockets. Although, other than the Rockets’, the AHL’s Houston Aeros and the WNBA’s Houston Comets play their home game at the Toyota Center.

The arena was officially opened in October 2003. The total costs were $235 million, with the city of Houston paying the majority, and the Rockets paying for enhancements. Toyota paid US$100 million for the naming rights.

Houston Rockets Championships

The Houston Rockets have 2 NBA championships in their record books. Their first championship was in 1994, when they defeated the New York Knicks in seven games, with Hakeem Olajuwon being named the NBA Finals MVP. They repeated as champions the following year, sweeping the Orlando Magic in four games in the 1995 NBA Finals.

Houston Rockets Records

Houston Rockets have 2,444 wins and 2,328 losses (.513 winning percentage). Houston has appeared in the playoffs 34 times. One of their famous record came in the 1993-94 NBA season in which they won 65 games. In 2008 they won 22 consecutive matches and in 1983 they scored the most points(158) in a game.

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