HOUSTON — The Houston Rockets own a deep collection of Hall of Famers. In any list ranking the top players of all time, the Rockets will have a strong representation.
The latest example of this comes from FS1’s Nick Wright, who released his Top 50 NBA Players of All Time. Wright's list includes nine former Rockets, headlined by Hakeem Olajuwon.
The two-time Finals MVP was the highest-rated Rocket, placing seventh on Wright's list. Wright has Olajuwon as the second-best center in league history — trailing only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
The next highest-rated Rocket comes is Mose Malone at No. 12. Some fans consider Malone as the original superstar of the franchise. He joined the Rockets in 1976 following a trade with the Buffalo Braves, who are now the Los Angeles Clippers.
Malone went on to become a two-time MVP winner in Houston, with five of his 12 All-Star appearances coming as a member of the Rockets. He averaged 24.0 points and 15.0 rebounds in 464 games with the Rockets.
Chris Paul and James harden, teammates in Houston for two seasons, closed out the Rockets' representation within the top 25. Paul came in at No. 21, while Harden placed No. 25.
The paring of Paul and Harden helped lead the Rockets to their best record in franchise history. In 2018, Houston notched 65 wins and advanced to the Western Conference finals, losing in seven games to the Golden State Warriors.
Other former Rockets who appeared on Wright's list are: Elvin Hayes, Scottie Pippen, Russell Westbrook, Clyde Drexler, Dwight Howard and Carmelo Anthony.
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