Houston Rockets · Franchise era 1 of 8
From San Diego to Houston: the Houston Rockets story
Franchise era
1967–68—1975–76
From San Diego to Houston
Houston Rockets
The story in one sentence
The Rockets began in San Diego, moved to Houston in 1971 and built their first lasting identity around Hayes, Murphy and Tomjanovich.
A new franchise finds its first stars
Elvin Hayes, Calvin Murphy and Rudy Tomjanovich gave the era its recognizable core.
Its ending created the conditions for moses and the first finals.
Timeline
How it unfolded
The foundation
The franchise context
Houston's history is a succession of dominant centers and radical offensive ideas: Elvin Hayes, Moses Malone, the Twin Towers, Hakeem Olajuwon's title teams, Yao and McGrady, then James Harden turning isolation and three-point volume into a yearly contender.
1969
Western Conference First Round: Houston Rockets vs Atlanta Hawks
1975
Western Conference First Round: Houston Rockets vs New York Knicks
1975
Western Conference Semifinals: Houston Rockets vs Boston Celtics
After 1975–76
What came next
Moses Malone became the league's most punishing rebounder and carried a 40-win Houston team through the West to the 1981 NBA Finals.
The core