![]() ![]() The team repeated as champions in 1995 as the sixth seed in the West and swept the favored Orlando Magic, who were led by a young Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway. The Rockets would reach the 1994 NBA Finals, where Olajuwon led the team to the franchise's first championship against Patrick Ewing and the New York Knicks. Rudy Tomjanovich took over as head coach midway through the 1991–92 season, ushering in the most successful period in franchise history. The Rockets continued to reach the playoffs throughout the 1980s, but failed to advance past the second round for the rest of the decade. Nicknamed the "Twin Towers", they led the team to the 1986 NBA Finals-the second NBA Finals berth in franchise history-where Houston was again defeated by the Boston Celtics. In 1984, the Rockets drafted center Hakeem Olajuwon, who would be paired with 7 feet 4 inches (2.24 m) Ralph Sampson, forming one of the tallest front courts in the NBA. He also led the Rockets to the NBA Finals in 1981 where they were defeated in six games by the Boston Celtics, led by Larry Bird and future Rockets coach Kevin McHale. Malone went on to win the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) award twice and lead Houston to the conference finals in his first year with the team. The Rockets did not finish a season with a winning record until the 1976–77 season, when they traded for center Moses Malone. In the 1969 NBA Draft, the Rockets selected power forward Elvin Hayes first overall, who would lead the team to its first playoff appearance in his rookie season. The Rockets won only 15 games in their debut season as a franchise in 1967. The team was established as the San Diego Rockets, an expansion team originally based in San Diego, California, in 1967. The Rockets have won two NBA championships and four Western Conference titles. ![]() The team plays its home games at the Toyota Center, located in downtown Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member club of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. ![]()
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