Houston Rockets · Franchise era 5 of 8
The bridge to a new backcourt: the Houston Rockets story
Franchise era
1997–98—2003–04
The bridge to a new backcourt
Houston Rockets
The story in one sentence
The aging contender took one last swing before a young, explosive backcourt gave the post-Hakeem Rockets a different personality.
Veteran swings, then Francis and Mobley
Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen, Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley gave the era its recognizable core.
Its ending created the conditions for yao and t-mac.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 1997–98
What came before
Olajuwon became the league's defining two-way center. Houston survived elimination games, won back-to-back titles and added Drexler for the second run.
1998
Western Conference First Round: Houston Rockets vs Utah Jazz
1999
Western Conference First Round: Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Lakers
2004
Western Conference First Round: Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Lakers
After 2003–04
What came next
Yao's touch and size paired with McGrady's scoring imagination. Their ceiling was obvious, but health repeatedly interrupted the playoff breakthrough.
The core