800-250-8709

NBA League Pass
Houston Rockets Team Page

Team Name: Houston Rockets Hometown: Houston, Texas NBA Western Conference » Team History     » Team Schedule

DON'T MISS A MINUTE OF Houston Rockets ACTION! ADD NBA League Pass TO YOUR ORDER TODAY! CALL 800-250-8709  TO ORDER NOW!

Don't miss the action! NBA League Pass, exclusively from DIRECTV, lets you follow your favorite team all season long, no matter where you live.

• NBA League Pass from DIRECTV broadcasts up to 40 games every week from outside your local area.*
• NBA League Pass from DIRECTV offers select games in eye-popping HD.
• NBA League Pass from DIRECTV provides incomparable special features like NBA League Pass Broadband Access.
• NBA League Pass from DIRECTV features NBA TV including round-the-clock live scores, stats, and highlights, AT NO EXTRA CHARGE!

2008 Houston Rockets Schedule

All times are US/Eastern

» Return to NBA League Pass

Houston Rockets History

The Rockets, along with the Seattle SuperSonics, entered the NBA in 1967 as an expansion team based in San Diego. They selected Pat Riley with their first draft pick in 1967. They went on to produce a then-NBA record 67-loss season. In 1968 the Rockets won the coin toss versus the Baltimore Bullets, giving them the first overall pick in the 1968 NBA Draft. They selected Elvin "the Big E" Hayes from the University of Houston. Hayes led the team to the franchise's first ever playoff appearance in 1969. The Rockets lost in the Western divisional semi-final to the Atlanta Hawks two games to four in a best-of-seven series.

In 1971, Houston real estate broker Wayne Duddleston and banker Billy Goldberg bought the franchise for $5.6 million and relocated the team from San Diego, where fans were more disposed to the Los Angeles Lakers than the Rockets. The Rockets originally had been named for San Diego slogan, "A City in Motion," but with the move to Houston their name took on even greater relevance. Houston is home to the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center and Mission Control, which received national attention during Project Apollo. Houston's major league baseball team, the Astros,were similarly named, and their stadium was the Astrodome, all with a futuristic theme. Furthermore, Houston's WNBA team would be named the Houston Comets, in part tribute and association with the Rockets. They would go on to win four straight championships.

In 2001, the Rockets worked their way to a 45-37 record and swept every Central Division team, but still did not make the playoffs. The following season was unremarkable, as the team was mostly made up of rookies and journeymen. Injuries to star player Steve Francis forced him to miss many games. The first season without Hakeem in almost 20 years was a disappointing 28-54.

The abysmal 2002 season had its silver lining, as the Rockets were awarded the first overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft. The Rockets selected Yao Ming, a 7 foot and 6 inch Chinese center, who played for the Shanghai Sharks. The 2002-03 basketball season saw marked improvement for the Rockets, with the trio of Yao, Francis, and Mobley leading the team to a 43-39 record.

With a 2003-04 regular season record of 45-37, the Rockets earned their first playoff berth since their first round exit to the Lakers in 1999. However, the Lakers again handed the Rockets a loss in the first round. The offseason saw major changes in the roster and dynamic of the team as Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Cato were traded to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Tracy McGrady, Juwan Howard, Tyronn Lue and Reece Gaines.

McGrady and Yao led the Rockets to their best record in 10 years, finishing at 51-31 and seeded 5th in the Western Conference Playoffs. Their season ended in the first round of the playoffs as they lost to their in-state rival, the Dallas Mavericks four games to three. During the 2005 offseason the Rockets obtained Stromile Swift and Derek Anderson. They also traded Mike James to the Toronto Raptors for Rafer Alston.

Injuries plagued the 2005-06 season. Bob Sura had surgery on his knee the summer prior, Tracy McGrady fought an injured back throughout the season, Yao Ming required surgery to treat an infection in his toe, and David Wesley even fractured a rib falling into a courtside cameraman near the end of the season. With Yao and McGrady rarely on the court at the same time, the Rockets floundered. The team was much more successful during the few portions of the season when its players were relatively healthy. However Jeff Van Gundy and his team frequently expressed the need to play beyond injuries and to not use bad luck as an excuse for losing. By the end of the season, the Rockets led the league in most games missed by players on the roster. The team finished with a 34-48 record.

Houston begins the 2007-08 season with recently hired Rick Adelman as the team's 11th head coach.

Information excerpted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston_Rockets.

---

To access DIRECTV HD programming, a 5-LNB Multi-Satellite Dish, along with a DIRECTV HD Receiver (H20, H21, HR20, HR21), HD television equipment, a qualifying programming package and an HD Access fee is required. 400-500k optimized for broadband viewing at 400x300 screen size. Local broadcast restrictions apply to NBA LEAGUE PASS Broadband games. Customer will not be able to watch game if service ZIP code matches the blackout area for that game.

To receive sports programming, all DIRECTV Receivers must be continuously connected to the same land-based phone line. NBA League Pass automatically continues each year, provided DIRECTV carries these services, unless customer calls to cancel prior to the season. Commercial locations require an appropriate licensee agreement. Signal theft is subject to civil and criminal penalties.

"NBA," the NBA logo design, "NBA League Pass" and its respective logo are registered trademarks of NBA Media Ventures, LLC and its affiliates. Team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. ©2006 Getty Images. Programming, pricing, terms and conditions subject to change. For complete details, visit directv.com. ©2007 DIRECTV, INC. DIRECTV and the Cyclone Design logo are registered trademarks of DIRECTV, INC. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners.

ADDITIONAL OFFER DETAILS