Houston Rockets Mt. Rushmore
Olajuwon tops the Rockets' Mt. Rushmore list
The first choice is pretty obvious: Hakeem Olajuwon. Olajuwon is, not only the greatest Houston Rockets player of all-time, but he is widely considered one of the greatest centers and players in NBA history.
Some may argue with this choice but James Harden is on it. As much as he got criticized for “flopping”, he’s still one of the greatest Rockets players of all-time. Before suiting up for the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers, respectively, he was considered one of the most versatile and dangerous scorers in the league while in Houston.
Moses Malone. Malone is one of those players that get overlooked even though he displays his talent on the court day in and day out. While being considered one of the greatest players in NBA history, he was also one of the most underrated players.
And I had to add Elvin Hayes, one of the greatest power forwards of all-time.
Here’s are explanation as to why I chose those four:
1. Hakeem Olajuwon
Before we get into the accolades he achieved, let’s look at his distinctive skill set. He became an unusually skilled offensive player for a big man but perfecting a set of fakes and spin movies which ultimately came to be known as his “Dream Shake” trademark.
Olajuwon spent his first 17 years in the league with the Rockets before spending his last year with the Toronto Raptors. During his time with the Rockets, he was a 12-time All-Star (1985-1990, 1992-1997) who made the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 1985, the All-NBA First Team six times (1987-1989, 1993, 1994, 1997), the All-NBA Second Team three times (1986, 1990, 1996), the All-NBA Third Team three times (1991, 1995, 1999). He was even named Most Valuable Player in 1994.
He was well-known for his defense, as well. He was a two-time, back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year (1993, 1994) who made the NBA All-Defensive First Team five times (1987, 1988, 1990, 1993, 1994) and the NBA All-Defensive Second Team four times (1985, 1991, 1996, 1997). He is the only player in NBA history to record more than 200 blocks and 200 steals in the same season.
Olajuwon also led the Rockets to their only two championships in franchise history (1994, 1995) and was named NBA Finals MVP both times.
During the 1993-1994 season, he became the first player to win the Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year, and NBA Finals MVP awards all in the same season.
While playing for the Rockets, he averaged 22 points a game, as well as 11 rebounds, two assists, one steal, and three blocks. He also led the league in rebounding twice (1989, 1990) and blocks three times (1990, 1991, 1993).
As of right now, Olajuwon is the Rockets’ all-time leader in points (26,511), rebounds (13,382), steals (2,088), and blocks (3,740). He is also their fourth all-time leader in assists (2,992).
FUN FACT: Olajuwon is one of four players to ever record a quadruple-double. He accomplished the feat on March 29, 1990 against the Milwaukee Bucks.
2. James Harden
What really caught my eye was Harden’s growth over his earlier years. Before joining the Rockets, he played for the Oklahoma City Thunder and spent his time there coming off the bench (starting in only SEVEN games out of the 220 he played). Granted, he won the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2012 but when he got to Houston, he really showcased the skills that a lot of viewers were not aware of.
During his nine years with the Rockets, he was an eight-time All-Star (2013-2020) who made the All-NBA First Team six times (2014, 2015, 2017-2020) and the All-NBA Third Team in 2013. He led the league in scoring three straight times (2018-2020) and assists in 2017. He was even named Most Valuable Player in 2018.
While playing for the Rockets, he averaged 29 points, six rebounds, seven assists, one steal, and 0.6 blocks. He is currently their all-time leader in assists (4,796) and three-pointers made (2,029). He is also their seven all-time leader in rebounds (3,736), steals (1,087), and blocks (390).
FUN FACT: Harden is the highest all-time left-handed scorer in NBA history.
3. Moses Malone
He spent six of his 21 years in the league with the Rockets. During his time with the Rockets, he was a five-time All-Star (1978-1982) who made the All-NBA First Team twice (1979, 1982) and the All-NBA Second Team twice (1980, 1981). He also made the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 1979. He even won league MVP twice (1979, 1982).
Something that is extremely essential to point out is that Malone won those two MVPs while playing during the prime of the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
He averaged 24 points with the Rockets, as well as 15 rebounds, one assists, 0.9 steals, and one block. He also led the league in rebounds three times (1979, 1981, 1982). He is currently the Rockets’ third all-time leader in rebounds (6,959) and blocks (758). He is also their sixth all-time leader in points (11,119).
FUN FACT: Malone had two games with the Rockets where he recorded 30-plus rebounds.
4. Elvin Hayes
Hayes was well-known for his longevity. He ranks seventh all-time in minutes played with 50,000 and missed only nine games during his 16-year career.
While playing with the Rockets, he was a four-time All-Star (1969-1972) who made the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 1969. He also led the league in scoring in 1969 while leading the NBA in rebounds in 1970.
Hayes averaged 20 points with the Rockets, as well as 12 rebounds, one assist, 0.5 steals, and 0.9 blocks. He is the Rockets’ fifth all-time leader in points (11,762) and second all-time leader in rebounds (6,974).
FUN FACT: Hayes is the last rookie in NBA history to lead the league in scoring.
Honorable Mentions: Rudy Tomjanovich, Yao Ming, Calvin Murphy, Otis Thorpe
Cory Nelson is a contributor to Sports Illustrated’s channel “Inside The Heat”. He attended Northern Virginia Community College. He can be reached at corymckenzienelson@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CKenzyNelson and Instagram @ckenzynelson