Houston Rockets: 5 moves we wish were April Fools jokes
By T.A. Mock
1: Kicking off a rebuild by trading Moses Malone
Moses Malone played the first two years of his career, as a teenager, in the ABA before making his transition the NBA in 1977, his third year as a professional basketball player. He began that season with the Buffalo Braves but he only played six minutes for the braves before they shipped him off to the Houston Rockets.
More from House of Houston
- Are you the 2021 FanSided Sports Fan of the Year?
- Houston Texans: 4 reasons Romeo Crennel is right coach right now
- Astros-Twins Wild Card Series: 5 things to know as MLB postseason begins
- Houston Texans: The Most Underrated Sports Drought Ever
- Houston Texans: J.J. Watt’s early case for NFL Hall of Fame
After a decent first season where he only averaged over 13 points and 13 rebounds per game. However, his second year in the NBA saw his career really take off and we saw the first of what would really make him into a future Hall of Famer. This started a twelve year stretch that saw him be named an All-Star.
Malone went on to win the MVP the following season, 1978-79, where he almost averaged 25 points and 18 rebounds to go with almost two blocks and over a steal a game. He was a bonafide stud at this point and continued his dominance for years and won his second MVP after the 1981-1982 season just a year after he led the team to the NBA Finals.
However, after that 1982 season, the Houston Rockets decided to cut bait and rebuild the roster starting by trading Malone to the 76ers for a first round pick, who became Rodney McCray, and Caldwell Jones. Unfortunately, neither player ever approached what Malone provided.
The Rockets and fans, instead, got to watch Malone continue his dominance in Philadelphia. His first season in the City of Brotherly Love saw him win his third and final MVP award but then he also carried them to the NBA Finals and actually win it this time. If only this was an April Fools joke and the Rockets could have more hardware in the trophy case.
Top 30 players in Rockets franchise history. dark. Next
Which one of these moves the Houston Rockets made do you wish was an April Fools joke? Are there others that come to mind that we didn’t include? Let us know below!