Best Draft Pick In Houston Rockets History

The Houston Rockets, originally the San Diego Rockets, have an impressive history of landing elite big men at the top of the draft, providing us with several players who deserve genuine consideration for the best draft pick in franchise history. 

Elvin Hayes, selected first overall by the San Diego Rockets in the 1968 NBA Draft, averaged 28.4 points as a rookie and was one of only two players in NBA history to lead the league in scoring in their first season. Impressive, but traded after just four seasons.

Ralph Sampson, a 7'4" phenom who was expected to change the game, was a three-time College Player of the Year. He won Rookie of the Year, made four All-Star teams, and helped Houston reach the 1986 NBA Finals before a series of devastating knee injuries cut short what could have been a Hall of Fame career. 

Yao Ming, the 7'6" giant from Shanghai selected first overall in 2002, made eight All-Star teams and five All-NBA Teams, and helped popularize the NBA in China, but was forced to retire at the age of 30 due to constant injuries. 

While all the above-mentioned players were impressive, the greatest draft pick in the Rockets franchise history came from one of the most talent-laden drafts in NBA history, a class that included Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and John Stockton. With the first pick in the 1984 Draft, Houston selected Nigerian center Akeem Olajuwon (changed to Hakeem in 1991) and changed the fortunes of the franchise forever.

Growing up in Lagos, Nigeria, Olajuwon played soccer and team handball before taking up basketball at fifteen. Three years later, he was enrolled at the University of Houston playing for the Cougars alongside Clyde Drexler as part of “Phi Slamma Jama”, helping them to three straight Final Fours. The NBA awaited.

In his rookie season, Olajuwon averaged 20.6 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks, forming the "Twin Towers" with Sampson, helping the Rockets improve from 29 wins to 48 and a return to the playoffs after a two-year hiatus. Over the course of seventeen seasons with Houston, “The Dream” averaged 22.5 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks. While the numbers are impressive, they only scratch the surface of what made him special.

An MVP, twelve All-NBA Teams, twelve All-Star appearances, six All-Defensive selections, a pair of Defensive Player of the Year awards, and the NBA's record for career blocked shots. Olajuwon was so talented that even during his playing days, he had other players, including guards like Kobe Bryant, seek out his mentorship for his renowned “Dream Shake” footwork in the post. 

Olajuwon's story wouldn't be complete without talking about the NBA title. In 1994, Houston made its first trip to the finals since losing to the Boston Celtics in 1985. Facing the New York Knicks, Olajuwon averaged 26.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 3.9 blocks, delivering Houston its first NBA championship while earning Finals MVP. He came back the following year and did it all over again. Carrying the sixth-seeded Rockets, the lowest ever to win the title, Olajuwon manhandled a young Shaquille O'Neal and the Orlando Magic in a sweep, averaging 32.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists, and in the process claiming Finals MVP for the second consecutive year.

Olajuwon spent seventeen seasons in Houston before playing one year with the Toronto Raptors. Unfortunately, contract negotiations and trade demands did not allow Olajuwon, the Rockets' greatest player and draft pick, to finish out his career wearing one jersey. However, it does little to diminish the Hall-of-Fame career that Olajuwon built in a place known as Clutch City.