Houston
Houston
Houston /ˈhjuːstən/ is the fourth most populous city in the United States of America, and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of over 2.1 million people within a land area of 599.6 square miles (1,553 km2).[1][5]
Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of Houston–The Woodlands-Sugar Land, the fifth-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. with over 6 million people.[6]
Houston was founded in 1836 on land near the banks of Buffalo Bayou, now known as Allen's Landing.[7
HP HA03 Battery][8] and incorporated as a city on June 5, 1837. The city was named after former General Sam Houston, who was president of the Republic of Texas and had commanded and won at the Battle of San Jacinto 25 miles (40 km) east of where the city was established. The burgeoning port and railroad industry, HP MU06 Battery
combined with oil discovery in 1901, has induced continual surges in the city's population. In the mid-twentieth century, Houston became the home of the Texas Medical Center—the world's largest concentration of healthcare and research institutions—and NASA's Johnson Space Center, where the Mission Control Center is located.[9] HP MU09 Battery
Rated as a global city, Houston's economy has a broad industrial base in energy, manufacturing, aeronautics, and transportation. It is also leading in health care sectors and building oilfield equipment; only New York City is home to more Fortune 500 headquarters.[10][ HP RM08 Battery
HP BX06 Battery11] The Port of Houston ranks first in the United States in international waterborne tonnage handled and second in total cargo tonnage handled.[12] The city has a population from various ethnic and religious backgrounds and a large and growing international community. It is home to many cultural institutions and exhibits, HP RS06 Battery
HP PT06 Battery which attract more than 7 million visitors a year to the Museum District. Houston has an active visual and performing arts scene in the Theater District and offers year-round resident companies in all major performing arts.[13]
HP MN06 BatteryIn August 1836, two real estate entrepreneurs—Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen—from New York, purchased 6,642 acres (26.88 km2) of land along Buffalo Bayou with the intent of founding a city.[ HP BS06 Battery
HP GB06 Battery14] The Allen brothers decided to name the city after Sam Houston, the popular general at the Battle of San Jacinto,[14] who was elected President of Texas in September 1836.
Houston was granted incorporation on June 5, 1837, with James S. Holman becoming its first mayor.[15] HP VE06 Battery
In the same year, Houston became the county seat of Harrisburg County (now Harris County) and the temporary capital of the Republic of Texas.[16] In 1840, the community established a chamber of commerce in part to promote shipping and waterborne business at the newly created port on Buffalo Bayou.[17] HP VE12 Battery
Houston, circa 1873
By 1860, Houston had emerged as a commercial and railroad hub for the export of cotton.[16] Railroad spurs from the Texas inland converged in Houston, where they met rail lines to the ports of Galveston and Beaumont. HP GA08 Battery
HP LU06 BatteryDuring the American Civil War, Houston served as a headquarters for General John Bankhead Magruder, who used the city as an organization point for the Battle of Galveston.[18] After the Civil War, HP MO06 Battery
Houston businessmen initiated efforts to widen the city's extensive system of bayous so the city could accept more commerce between downtown and the nearby port of Galveston. By 1890, Houston was the railroad center of Texas. HP MO09 Battery
Union Station, Houston, Texas (postcard, circa 1911)
In 1900, after Galveston was struck by a devastating hurricane, efforts to make Houston into a viable deepwater port were accelerated.[1HP EV06 Battery
HP EV12 Battery9] The following year, oil discovered at the Spindletop oil field near Beaumont prompted the development of the Texas petroleum industry.[20] In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt approved a $1 million improvement project for the Houston Ship Channel. By 1910 the city's population had reached 78,800, almost doubling from a decade before. HP Pavilion dv7-1027ca battery
HP Pavilion dv7-1245ca battery
African-Americans formed a large part of the city's population, numbering 23,929 people, or nearly one-third of the residents.[21]
President Woodrow Wilson opened the deepwater Port of Houston in 1914, seven years after digging began. HP Pavilion dv7-1014ca battery
HP Pavilion dv7-1240us batteryBy 1930, Houston had become Texas's most populous city and Harris the most populous county.[22] In 1940, the Census Bureau reported Houston's population as 77.5% white and 22.4% black.[23]
Downtown Houston, circa 1927
When World War II started, tonnage levels at the port decreased and shipping activities were suspended; however,
HP Pavilion dv7-1223ca batterythe war did provide economic benefits for the city. Petrochemical refineries and manufacturing plants were constructed along the ship channel because of the demand for petroleum and synthetic rubber products during the war.[24] Ellington Field, initially built during World War I, was revitalized as an advanced training center for bombardiers and navigators.[25]
HP Pavilion dv7-1228ca batteryThe Brown Shipbuilding Company was founded in 1942 to build ships for the U.S. Navy during World War II. The M.D. Anderson Foundation formed the Texas Medical Center in 1945. After the war, Houston's economy reverted to being primarily port-driven. HP Pavilion dv7-1034ca battery
HP Pavilion dv7-1038ca battery
HP Pavilion dv7-1123ca battery
HP Pavilion dv7-1128ca battery
HP Pavilion dv7-3098ca battery
HP Pavilion dv7-1174ca battery In 1948, several unincorporated areas were annexed into the city limits, which more than doubled the city's size, and Houston proper began to spread across the region.[15][26]
In 1950, the availability of air conditioning provided impetus for many companies to relocate to Houston resulting in an economic boom and producing a key shift in the city's economy toward the energy sector.[27][28] HP Pavilion dv7-3074ca battery
Ashburn's Houston City Map (circa 1956)
The space shuttle, atop its Boeing 747 SCA, flying over Johnson Space Center
The increased production of the local shipbuilding industry during World War II spurred Houston's growth,[29] HP Pavilion dv7-3178ca battery
as did the establishment in 1961 of NASA's "Manned Spacecraft Center" (renamed the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in 1973), which created the city's aerospace industry. The Astrodome, nicknamed the "Eighth Wonder of the World",[HP Pavilion dv7-3180us battery
HP Pavilion dv7-3060ca battery30] opened in 1965 as the world's first indoor domed sports stadium.
During the late 1970s, Houston experienced a population boom as people from Rust Belt states moved to Texas in large numbers.[31HP Pavilion dv7-3128ca battery
HP Pavilion dv7-1153ca battery] The new residents came for the numerous employment opportunities in the petroleum industry, created as a result of the Arab Oil Embargo.
The population boom ended abruptly in the mid-1980s, as oil prices fell precipitously. The space industry also suffered in 1986 after the Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated shortly after launch. The late 1980s saw a recession adversely affecting the city's economy. HP Pavilion dv7-3148ca battery
HP Pavilion dv7-1137us battery
Since the 1990s, as a result of the recession, Houston has made efforts to diversify its economy by focusing on aerospace and health care/biotechnology and by reducing its dependence on the petroleum industry. In 1997, Houstonians elected Lee P. Brown as the city's first African American mayor.[32]
HP Pavilion dv7-3080ca battery
In June 2001, Tropical Storm Allison dumped up to 40 inches (1,000 mm) of rain on parts of Houston, causing the worst flooding in the city's history; the storm cost billions of dollars in damage and killed 20 people in Texas.[ HP Pavilion dv7-3173ca battery
33] By December of that same year, Houston-based energy company Enron collapsed into the third-largest ever U.S. bankruptcy during an investigation surrounding fabricated partnerships that were allegedly used to hide debt and inflate profits. HP Pavilion dv7-3152ca battery
In August 2005, Houston became a shelter to more than 150,000 people from New Orleans who evacuated from Hurricane Katrina.[3HP Pavilion dv7-3153ca battery
4] One month later, approximately 2.5 million Houston area residents evacuated when Hurricane Rita approached the Gulf Coast, leaving little damage to the Houston area. This was the largest urban evacuation in the history of the United States.[35][36] HP Pavilion dv7-3157ca battery
Geography[edit]
Main article: Geography of Houston
A simulated-color image of Houston
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 656.3 square miles (1,700 km2); this comprises 634.0 square miles (1,642 km2) of land and 22.3 square miles (58 km2) of water.[37] Most of Houston is located on the gulf coastal plain, HP Pavilion dv7-3170ca battery
and its vegetation is classified as temperate grassland and forest. Much of the city was built on forested land, marshes, HP Pavilion dv7-3160us battery
HP Pavilion dv7-1130us battery swamp, or prairie, which are all still visible in surrounding areas. Flatness of the local terrain, when combined with urban sprawl, has made flooding a recurring problem for the city.[38] Downtown stands about 50 feet (15 m) above sea level,[3Sony SVS13AA11L Battery
9] and the highest point in far northwest Houston is about 125 feet (38 m) in elevation.[40][41] The city once relied on groundwater for its needs, but land subsidence forced the city to turn to ground-level water sources such as Lake Houston, Sony SVS131A11L Battery
Sony PCG-41413L Battery Lake Conroe and Lake Livingston.[15][42] The city owns surface water rights for 1.20 billion gallons of water a day in addition to 150 million gallons a day worth of groundwater.[43]
Houston has four major bayous passing through the city. Buffalo Bayou runs through downtown and the Houston Ship Channel, and has three tributaries: White Oak Bayou, which runs through the Houston Heights community northwest of Downtown and then towards Downtown;
Sony PCG-41412L Battery Braes Bayou, which runs along the Texas Medical Center; and Sims Bayou, which runs through the south of Houston and downtown Houston. The ship channel continues past Galveston and then into the Gulf of Mexico.
Geology[edit]
Underpinning Houston's land surface are unconsolidated clays, clay shales, and poorly cemented sands up to several miles deep. The region's geology developed from river deposits formed from the erosion of the Rocky Mountains. Sony SVS131B11L Battery
These sediments consist of a series of sands and clays deposited on decaying organic marine matter, that over time, transformed into oil and natural gas. Beneath the layers of sediment is a water-deposited layer of halite, a rock salt. Sony SVS151A11L Battery
Sony PCG-41218L BatteryThe porous layers were compressed over time and forced upward. As it pushed upward, the salt dragged surrounding sediments into salt dome formations, often trapping oil and gas that seeped from the surrounding porous sands. The thick, rich, sometimes black, surface soil is suitable for rice farming in suburban outskirts where the city continues to grow.[44][45]
The Houston area has over 150 active faults (estimated to be 300 active faults) with an aggregate length of up to 310 miles (500 km),[46][47][48] including the Long Point–Eureka Heights fault system which runs through the center of the city. Sony SVS151B11L Battery
Sony PCG-41216L BatteryThere have been no significant historically recorded earthquakes in Houston, but researchers do not discount the possibility of such quakes having occurred in the deeper past, nor occurring in the future. Land in some areas southeast of Houston is sinking because water has been pumped out of the ground for many years. Sony SVS151G1GL Battery
Sony PCG-41215L BatteryIt may be associated with slip along the faults; however, the slippage is slow and not considered an earthquake, where stationary faults must slip suddenly enough to create seismic waves.[49
Sony PCG-41214L Battery] These faults also tend to move at a smooth rate in what is termed "fault creep",[42] which further reduces the risk of an earthquake.
Climate[edit]
Main article: Climate of Houston
Allen's Landing after Tropical Storm Allison, June 2001
Houston's climate is classified as humid subtropical (Cfa in Köppen climate classification system). While not necessarily part of "Tornado Alley" like much of the rest of Texas, spring supercell thunderstorms do sometimes bring tornadoes to the area. Sony PCG-4121DL Battery
Sony PCG-41213L BatteryPrevailing winds are from the south and southeast during most of the year, bringing heat from the western deserts and moisture from the Gulf of Mexico.[50]
During the summer months, it is common for the temperature to reach over 90 °F (32 °C), with an average of 99 days per year above 90 °F (32 °C).[51] However, the humidity causes a heat index higher than the actual temperature. Summer mornings average over 90 percent relative humidity and approximately 60 percent in the afternoon.[5Sony PCG-4121EL Battery
Sony PCG-41212L Battery2] Winds are often light in the summer and offer little relief, except near the immediate coast.[53] To cope with the heat, people use air conditioning in nearly every vehicle and building in the city; Sony PCG-4121FL Battery
in 1980 Houston was described as the "most air-conditioned place on earth".[54] Scattered afternoon showers and thunderstorms are common in the summer. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Houston is 109 °F (43 °C), which was reached both on September 4, 2000 and August 28, 2011.[55][56] Sony PCG-4121GL Battery
Winters in Houston are mild. The average high in January, the coldest month, is 63 °F (17 °C), while the average low is 43 °F (6 °C). Snowfall is very rare. Recent snow events in Houston include a storm on December 24, 2004 when one inch (2.5 cm) fell and more recent snowfalls on December 10, 2008. This was the earliest snowfall ever recorded in Houston. Sony SVS13AB1GL Battery
Sony PCG-71912L Battery In addition, it set another milestone marking the first time in recorded history that snowfall has occurred in two consecutive years, and was the third accumulating snowfall occurring in the decade of 2000–2010. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Houston was 5 °F (−15 °C) on January 23, 1940.[ Sony SVS131C1DL Battery
57] Houston receives a high amount of rainfall annually, averaging about 50 inches (1,270 mm) a year. These rains tend to cause floods over portions of the city.
Houston has excessive ozone levels and is routinely ranked among the most ozone-polluted cities in the United States.[58] Sony SVS131E1DL Battery
Ground-level ozone, or smog, is Houston's predominant air pollution problem, with the American Lung Association rating the metropolitan area's ozone level as the 8th worst in the United States in 2011.[59] The industries located along the ship channel are a major cause of the city's air pollution.[60]
Sony PCG-71911L Battery In the past, Houston's air quality has been compared to that of Los Angeles.[61]
Further information: Geographic areas of Houston and List of Houston neighborhoods
Houston was incorporated in 1837 under the ward system of representation. The ward designation is the progenitor of the eleven current-day geographically-oriented Houston City Council districts. Locations in Houston are generally classified as either being inside or outside the Interstate 610 Loop. Sony SVS131G1DL Battery
Sony PCG-71811L Battery The inside encompasses the central business district and many residential neighborhoods that predate World War II. More recently, high-density residential areas have been developed within the loop. Sony SVS151C1GL Battery
Sony PCG-71713L Battery The city's outlying areas, suburbs and enclaves are located outside of the loop. Beltway 8 encircles the city another 5 miles (8.0 km) farther out.
Though Houston is the largest city in the United States without formal zoning regulations, it has developed similarly to other Sun Belt cities because the city's land use regulations and legal covenants have played a similar role.[66][ Sony SVS151C2DL Battery
Sony PCG-71614L Battery67] Regulations include mandatory lot size for single-family houses and requirements that parking be available to tenants and customers. Such restrictions have had mixed results. Though some[67] Sony SVS151E1GL Battery
have blamed the city's low density, urban sprawl, and lack of pedestrian-friendliness on these policies, the city's land use has also been credited with having significant affordable housing, sparing Houston the worst effects of the 2008 real estate crisis.[6Sony PCG-61A11L Battery
Sony PCG-61913L Battery8] The city issued 42,697 building permits in 2008 and was ranked first in the list of healthiest housing markets for 2009.[69]
Voters rejected efforts to have separate residential and commercial land-use districts in 1948, 1962, and 1993. Consequently, Sony PCG-61A13L Battery
rather than a single central business district as the center of the city's employment, multiple districts have grown throughout the city in addition to downtown which include Uptown, Texas Medical Center, Midtown, Greenway Plaza, Memorial City, Energy Corridor, Westchase, and Greenspoint.
The western view of Downtown Houston skyline
The southern view of Downtown Houston skyline
The Uptown Houston skyline
Government and politics[edit]
Main article: Politics of Houston
Houston City Hall
The city of Houston has a strong mayoral form of municipal government.[70] Houston is a home rule city and all municipal elections in the state of Texas are nonpartisan.[70][71] The City's elected officials are the mayor, city controller and 16 members of the city council.[ Sony PCG-61A14L Battery
Sony PCG-61813L Battery72] The current mayor of Houston is Annise Parker, a Democrat elected on a nonpartisan ballot whose second term in office will expire at the end of 2013.[73] Houston's mayor serves as the city's chief administrator, executive officer, Sony PCG-71C11L Battery
Sony PCG-61714L Battery and official representative, and is responsible for the general management of the city and for seeing that all laws and ordinances are enforced.[73]
The original city council line-up of 14 members (nine district-based and five at-large positions) was based on a U.S. Justice Department mandate which took effect in 1979. Sony PCG-71913L Battery
[74] At-large council members represent the entire city.[72] Under the city charter, once the population in the city limits exceeded 2.1 million residents, two additional districts were to be added.[75]
Sony SVE171E12L Battery The City of Houston's official 2010 census count was 600 shy of the required number; however, as the city was expected to grow beyond 2.1 million shortly thereafter, the two additional districts were added and the positions filled during the August 2011 elections. The districts are labeled A through K while the at-large positions are numbered 1 through 5. Sony PCG-71914L Battery
The city controller is elected independently of the mayor and council. The controller's duties are to certify available funds prior to committing such funds and processing disbursements. The city's fiscal year begins on July 1 and ends on June 30. Ronald Green is the city controller, serving his first term as of January 2010. Sony PCG-91211L Battery
As the result of a 1991 referendum in Houston, a mayor is elected for a two-year term, and can be elected to as many as three consecutive terms. The term limits were spearheaded by conservative political activist Clymer Wright.[76] Sony PCG-91311L Battery
Sony SVE171C11L Battery The city controller and city council members are also subject to the same two-year, three-term limitations.
Houston is considered to be a politically divided city whose balance of power often sways between Republicans and Democrats. Much of the city's wealthier areas vote Republican, while the city's middle class, working class, and minority areas vote Democratic. According to the 2005 Houston Area Survey,
Sony SVE151J11L Battery 68 percent of non-Hispanic whites in Harris County are declared or favor Republicans while 89 percent of non-Hispanic blacks in the area are declared or favor Democrats. About 62 percent Hispanics (of any race) Sony SVE141C11L Battery
Sony SVE151G13L Batteryin the area are declared or favor Democrats.[77] The city has often been known to be the most politically diverse city in Texas, a state known for being generally conservative.[77
Sony SVE151G11L Battery] As a result the city is often a contested area in statewide elections.[77] In 2009, Houston became the first US city with a population over 1 million to elect a gay mayor, by electing Annise Parker. Sony SVE141D11L Battery
Houston is recognized worldwide for its energy industry—particularly for oil and natural gas—as well as for biomedical research and aeronautics. Renewable energy sources—wind and solar—are also growing economic bases in Houston.[79][ Sony SVE141L11L Battery
Sony SVE151E11L Battery80] The ship channel is also a large part of Houston's economic base. Because of these strengths, Houston is designated as a global city by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network and by global management consulting firm A.T. Kearney.[11]
The Houston area is a leading center for building oilfield equipment.[81] Much of Houston's success as a petrochemical complex is due to its busy ship channel, the Port of Houston.[82] The port ranks first in the United States in international commerce, and is the tenth-largest port in the world.[12]
Sony PCG-61316L Battery [83] Unlike most places, high oil and gasoline prices are beneficial for Houston's economy as many of its residents are employed in the energy industry.[84] Sony PCG-61713L Battery
The Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown MSA's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2010 was $385 billion, larger than Austria's, Argentina's or South Africa's GDP.[85] Only 21 countries other than the United States have a gross domestic product exceeding Houston's regional gross area product. Mining, Sony PCG-91111L Battery
Sony PCG-61312L Battery which in Houston consists almost entirely of exploration and production of oil and gas, accounts for 26.3% of Houston's GAP, up sharply in response to high energy prices and a decreased worldwide surplus of oil production capacity; followed by engineering services, health services, and manufacturing.[86] Sony PCG-91112L Battery
A graph showing the major sectors of the Houston economy.[87]
The University of Houston System's annual impact on the Houston-area's economy equates to that of a major corporation: $1.1 billion in new funds attracted annually to the Houston area, $3.13 billion in total economic benefit, and 24,000 local jobs generated.[8Sony PCG-71312L Battery
Sony PCG-61311L Battery8][89] This is in addition to the 12,500 new graduates the UH System produces every year who enter the workforce in Houston and throughout Texas. These degree-holders tend to stay in Houston. After five years, 80.5 percent of graduates are still living and working in the region.[89] Sony PCG-71311L Battery
In 2006, the Houston metropolitan area ranked first in Texas and third in the U.S. within the Category of "Best Places for Business and Careers" by Forbes magazine.[90] Foreign governments have established 92 consular offices in metropolitan Houston, the third highest in the nation.[9
Sony PCG-61211L Battery1] Forty foreign governments maintain trade and commercial offices here and 23 active foreign chambers of commerce and trade associations.[92] Twenty-five foreign banks representing 13 nations operate in Houston, providing financial assistance to the international community.[93] Sony PCG-71218L Battery
In 2008, Houston received top ranking on Kiplinger's Personal Finance Best Cities of 2008 list which ranks cities on their local economy, employment opportunities, reasonable living costs and quality of life.[94]
Sony PCG-71216L BatteryThe city ranked fourth for highest increase in the local technological innovation over the preceding 15 years, according to Forbes magazine.[95] In the same year, the city ranked second on the annual Fortune 500 list of company headquarters,[96Sony PCG-71217L Battery
Sony PCG-71215L Battery] ranked first for Forbes Best Cities for College Graduates,[97] and ranked first on Forbes list of Best Cities to Buy a Home.[98] In 2010, the city was rated the best city for shopping, according to Forbes.[99] Sony PCG-71313L Battery
In 2012, the city was ranked #1 for paycheck worth by Forbes; and in late May 2013, Houston was identified as America's top city for employment creation.[100][101] Sony PCG-71315L Battery
In 2013, Houston was identified as the #1 U.S. city for job creation by the U.S. Bureau of Statistics after it was not only the first major city to regain all the jobs lost in the preceding economic downturn, but after the crash, Sony PCG-71316L Battery
more than two jobs were added for every one lost. Economist and vice president of research at the Greater Houston Partnership Patrick Jankowski attributed Houston's success to the ability of the region's real estate and energy industries to learn from historical mistakes. Furthermore, Jankowski stated that "more than 100 foreign-owned companies relocated, Sony PCG-71317L Battery
Sony PCG-71318L Battery expanded or started new businesses in Houston" between 2008 and 2010, and this openness to external business boosted job creation during a period when domestic demand was problematically low.[101] Sony SVS13AA11L Battery
Sony SVS131A11L Battery
Map of racial/ethnic distribution in the City of Houston, 2010 census - Each dot represents 25 people. Red dots represent White people, orange dots represent Hispanic people, blue dots represent Black people, green dots represent Asian people, Sony SVS131B11L Battery
Sony SVS151A11L Battery
and gray dots represent other people
Houston is a multicultural city, in part because of its many academic institutions and strong industries as well as being a major port city. Over 90 languages are spoken in the city.[103] The city has among the youngest populations in the nation,[104][105][106] partly due to an influx of immigrants into Texas.[1Sony SVS151B11L Battery
07] An estimated 400,000 undocumented immigrants reside in the Houston area.[108]
According to the 2010 Census, whites made up 51% of Houston's population; 26% of the total population were non-Hispanic whites. Sony SVS151G1GL Battery
Blacks or African Americans made up 24% of Houston's population. American Indians made up 0.7% of Houston's population. Asians made up 6% of Houston's population (1.7% Vietnamese, 1.3% Chinese, 1.3% Indian, 0.9% Pakistani, 0.4% Filipino, 0.3% Korean, 0.1% Japanese), while Pacific Islanders made up 0.1%. Sony PCG-4121DL Battery
Sony PCG-41414L BatteryIndividuals from some other race made up 15.2% of the city's population, of which 0.2% were non-Hispanic. Individuals from two or more races made up 3.3% of the city's population. People of Hispanic origin, regardless of race, made up 44% of Houston's population[109] Sony PCG-4121EL Battery
As of the 2000 Census, there were 1,953,631 people and the population density was 3,371.7 people per square mile (1,301.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 49.3% White, 25.3% African American, 5.3% Asian, Sony PCG-4121FL Battery
Sony PCG-41413L Battery0.4% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 16.5% from some other race, and 3.1% from two or more races. In addition, Hispanics made up 37.4% of Houston's population while non-Hispanic whites made up 30.8%,[110] down from 62.4% in 1970.[23] Sony PCG-4121GL Battery
The median income for a household in the city was $37,000, and the median income for a family was $40,000. Males had a median income of $32,000 versus $27,000 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,000. Nineteen percent of the population and 16 percent of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, Sony PCG-41211L Battery
Sony PCG-41412L Battery 26% of those under the age of 18 and 14% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Culture[edit]
Main article: Culture of Houston
See also: Nicknames of Houston, List of events in Houston, List of people raised in Houston, and Sister cities of Houston
Houston Art Car Parade
Houston is a diverse city with a large and growing international community.[111] The metropolitan area is home to an estimated 1.1 million (21.4 percent) residents who were born outside the United States, with nearly two-thirds of the area's foreign-born population from south of the United States–Mexico border.[112] Sony PCG-41213L Battery
Sony PCG-41411L Battery Additionally, more than one in five foreign-born residents are from Asia.[112] The city is home to the nation's third-largest concentration of consular offices, representing 86 countries.[113]
Sony PCG-41218L Battery
Many annual events celebrate the diverse cultures of Houston. The largest and longest running is the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, held over 20 days from late February to early March, which happens to be the largest annual livestock show and rodeo anywhere in the world.[114]
Sony PCG-41217L BatteryAnother large celebration is the annual night-time Houston Pride Parade, held at the end of June.[115] Other annual events include the Houston Greek Festival,[116] Art Car Parade, the Houston Auto Show, the Houston International Festival,[11 Sony PCG-41214L Battery
7] and the Bayou City Art Festival, which is considered to be one of the top five art festivals in the United States.[118][119]
Houston received the official nickname of "Space City" in 1967 because it is the location of NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. Other nicknames often used by locals include "Bayou City," "Magnolia City," "New Houston," Sony PCG-41215L Battery
Sony PCG-41216L Battery a tribute to the cultural contributions of New Orleans natives who left their city during the 2005 Hurricane Katrina catastrophe, and "H-Town."
The annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo held inside the Reliant Stadium.
The George R. Brown Convention Center regularly holds various kinds of conventions.
Arts and theater[edit]
Hobby Center for the Performing Arts
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Houston Museum of Natural Science
The Houston Theater District, located downtown, is home to nine major performing arts organizations and six performance halls. It is the second-largest concentration of theater seats in a downtown area in the United States.[120][12Sony SVS13AB1GL Battery
Sony PCG-91311L Battery1][122] Houston is one of few United States cities with permanent, professional, resident companies in all major performing arts disciplines: opera (Houston Grand Opera), ballet (Houston Ballet), music (Houston Symphony Orchestra), and theater (The Alley Theatre).[13][1Sony SVS131C1DL Battery
Sony PCG-91211L Battery23] Houston is also home to folk artists, art groups and various small progressive arts organizations.[124] Houston attracts many touring Broadway acts, concerts, shows, and exhibitions for a variety of interests.[12Sony SVS131C24L Battery
Sony PCG-71914L Battery5] Facilities in the Theater District include the Jones Hall—home of the Houston Symphony Orchestra and Society for the Performing Arts—and the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts. Sony SVS131E1DL Battery
The Museum District's cultural institutions and exhibits attract more than 7 million visitors a year.[126][127] Notable facilities include The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Museum of Natural Science, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, the Station Museum of Contemporary Art, Holocaust Museum Houston, and the Houston Zoo.[128][12Sony SVS131G1DL Battery
Sony PCG-71913L Battery9][130] Located near the Museum District are The Menil Collection, Rothko Chapel, and the Byzantine Fresco Chapel Museum.
Bayou Bend is a 14-acre (5.7 ha) facility of the Museum of Fine Arts that houses one of America's best collections of decorative art, paintings and furniture. Bayou Bend is the former home of Houston philanthropist Ima Hogg.[131] Sony SVS151C1GL Battery
Sony SVS151C2DL Battery
The National Museum of Funeral History is located in Houston near the George Bush Intercontinental Airport. The museum houses the original Popemobile used by Pope John Paul II in the 1980s along with numerous hearses, embalming displays and information on famous funerals. Sony SVS151E1GL Battery
Venues across Houston regularly host local and touring rock, blues, country, dubstep, and Tejano musical acts. While Houston has never been widely known for its music scene,[132] Houston hip-hop has become a significant, independent music scene that is influential nationwide.[133]
Tourism and recreation[edit] Sony PCG-61A11L Battery
Mission Control Center inside the Johnson Space Center.
Discovery Green park in downtown.
The Theater District is a 17-block area in the center of downtown Houston that is home to the Bayou Place entertainment complex, restaurants, movies, plazas, and parks. Bayou Place is a large multilevel building containing full-service restaurants, bars, live music, billiards, and Sundance Cinema. Sony PCG-61A13L Battery
Sony PCG-71912L BatteryThe Houston Verizon Wireless Theater, now Bayou Music Center, stages live concerts, stage plays, and stand-up comedy. Space Center Houston is the official visitors' center of NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. The Space Center has many interactive exhibits including moon rocks, Sony PCG-61A14L Battery
a shuttle simulator, and presentations about the history of NASA's manned space flight program. Other tourist attractions include the Galleria (Texas's largest shopping mall located in the Uptown District), Old Market Square, the Downtown Aquarium, and Sam Houston Race Park.
Sony PCG-71911L Battery
Of worthy mention are Houston's current Chinatown and the Mahatma Gandhi District. Both areas offer a picturesque view of Houston's multicultural makeup. Restaurants, bakeries, traditional-clothing boutiques and specialty shops can be found in both areas.
The Galleria in the Uptown District is the largest mall in Texas.
Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park in Uptown
Houston is home to 337 parks including Hermann Park, Terry Hershey Park, Lake Houston Park, Memorial Park, Tranquility Park, Sesquicentennial Park, Discovery Green, and Sam Houston Park. Within Hermann Park are the Houston Zoo and the Houston Museum of Natural Science.
Sony PCG-71811L Battery Sam Houston Park contains restored and reconstructed homes which were originally built between 1823 and 1905.[134] There is a proposal to open the city's first botanic garden at Herman Brown Park.[135] Sony PCG-71C12L Battery
Sony PCG-71713L Battery
Of the 10 most populous U.S. cities, Houston has the most total area of parks and green space, 56,405 acres (228 km2)[136] The city also has over 200 additional green spaces—totaling over 19,600 acres (79 km2) that are managed by the city—including the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center. The Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark is a public skatepark owned and operated by the city of Houston,
Sony PCG-71614L Battery and is one of the largest skateparks in Texas consisting of 30,000 (2,800 m2) square foot in-ground facility. The Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park—located in the Uptown District of the city—serves as a popular tourist attraction, weddings, and various celebrations. A 2011 study by Walk Score ranked Houston the 23rd most walkable of the 50 largest cities in the United States.[137
Sony PCG-61913L Battery] SplashTown Waterpark Houston is a water park located north of Houston.
The Bayport Cruise Terminal on the Houston Ship Channel will become port of call for both Princess Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line in 2013-2014.[138] Sony PCG-61714L Battery
Media[edit]
Further information: List of newspapers in Houston, List of television stations in Texas, List of radio stations in Texas, Magazines in Houston, and List of films featured in Houston
The primary network-affiliated television stations are KPRC-TV (NBC), KHOU-TV (CBS), KTRK-TV (ABC), and KRIV-TV (Fox). Sony PCG-61813L Battery
Sony PCG-61911L Battery
The Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area is served by one public television station and two public radio stations. KUHT (HoustonPBS) is a PBS member station and is the first public television station in the United States. Houston Public Radio is listener-funded and comprises two NPR member stations: KUHF (KUHF News) and KUHA (Classical 91.7). Sony SVE141C11L Battery
Sony SVE141D11L Battery
KUHF is news/talk radio and KUHA is a classical music station. The University of Houston System owns and holds broadcasting licenses to KUHT, KUHF, and KUHA. The stations broadcast from the Melcher Center for Public Broadcasting, located on the campus of the University of Houston. Sony SVE141L11L Battery
Houston is served by the Houston Chronicle, its only major daily newspaper with wide distribution. The Hearst Corporation, which owns and operates the Houston Chronicle, bought the assets of the Houston Post—its long-time rival and main competition—Sony SVE151E11L Battery
Sony PCG-61317L Batterywhen Houston Post ceased operations in 1995. The Houston Post was owned by the family of former Lieutenant Governor Bill Hobby of Houston. The only other major publication to serve the city is the Houston Press—a free alternative weekly with a weekly readership of more than 300,000.[139] Sony SVE151G11L Battery
Sony SVE151G13L Battery
Education[edit]
Main article: Education in Houston
The Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (HMWESC), which houses the Houston Independent School District administrative offices
Seventeen school districts exist within the city of Houston. The Houston Independent School District (HISD) is the seventh-largest school district in the United States.[140Sony SVE151J11L Battery
Sony SVE171C11L Battery
Sony PCG-61316L Battery] HISD has 112 campuses that serve as magnet or vanguard schools—specializing in such disciplines as health professions, visual and performing arts, and the sciences. There are also many charter schools that are run separately from school districts. In addition, some public school districts also have their own charter schools.
The Houston area encompasses more than 300 private schools,[141][ Sony SVE171E11L Battery
Sony PCG-61315L Battery142][143] many of which are accredited by Texas Private School Accreditation Commission recognized agencies. The Houston Area Independent Schools offer education from a variety of different religious as well as secular viewpoints.[144] The Houston area Catholic schools are operated by the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.
Colleges and universities[edit]
Further information: List of colleges and universities in Houston
Rice University
Four separate and distinct state universities are located in Houston. The University of Houston is a nationally recognized Tier One research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System.[145][14Sony SVE171G112 Battery
6][147] The third-largest university in Texas, the University of Houston has nearly 40,000 students on its 667 acre campus in southeast Houston.[1Sony PCG-61713L Battery
Sony PCG-61312L Battery48] The University of Houston–Clear Lake and the University of Houston–Downtown are stand-alone universities; they are not branch campuses of the University of Houston. Located in the historic community of Third Ward is Texas Southern University, one of the largest historically black colleges and universities in the United States. Sony PCG-91111L Battery
Sony PCG-61311L Battery
Several private institutions of higher learning—ranging from liberal arts colleges to Rice University, the nationally recognized research university—are located within the city. Rice, with a total enrollment of slightly more than 6,000 students, Sony PCG-91112L Battery
Sony PCG-61215L Battery is widely recognized as one of the top twenty universities in the nation, and it has a number of distinguished graduate programs and research institutes such as the James A. Baker Institute for Public Policy. The university's undergraduates are among the most select in the nation.[149] Sony PCG-71312L Battery
Three community college districts exist with campuses in and around Houston. The Houston Community College System serves most of Houston. The northwestern through northeastern parts of the city are served by various campuses of the Lone Star College System, while the southeastern portion of Houston is served by San Jacinto College, Sony PCG-71311L Battery
Sony PCG-61211L Battery and a northeastern portion is served by Lee College.[150] The Houston Community College and Lone Star College systems are within the 10 largest institutions of higher learning in the United States. Sony PCG-71218L Battery
Houston is the seat of the internationally renowned Texas Medical Center, which contains the world's largest concentration of research and healthcare institutions.[151] All 49 member institutions of the Texas Medical Center are non-profit organizations. Sony PCG-71217L Battery
Sony PCG-71216L Battery They provide patient and preventive care, research, education, and local, national, and international community well-being. Employing more than 73,600 people, institutions at the medical center include 13 hospitals and two specialty institutions, two medical schools, four nursing schools, and schools of dentistry, Sony PCG-71313L Battery
Sony PCG-71215L Battery public health, pharmacy, and virtually all health-related careers. It is where one of the first—and still the largest—air emergency service, Life Flight, was created, and a very successful inter-institutional transplant program was developed. Sony PCG-71315L Battery
Sony PCG-71212L Battery More heart surgeries are performed at the Texas Medical Center than anywhere else in the world.[152]
Some of the academic and research health institutions at the center include MD Anderson Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, UT Health Science Center, Memorial Hermann Hospital, The Methodist Hospital, Texas Children's Hospital, and University of Houston College of Pharmacy.
Sony PCG-71211L Battery
The Baylor College of Medicine has annually been considered within the top ten medical schools in the nation; likewise, the MD Anderson Cancer Center has consistently ranked as one of the top two U.S. hospitals specializing in cancer care by U.S. News & World Report since 1990.[153][
Sony PCG-71318L Battery154] The Menninger Clinic, a renowned psychiatric treatment center, is affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine and The Methodist Hospital System.[155] With hospital locations nationwide and headquarters in Houston, Sony PCG-71316L Battery
Sony PCG-71317L Batterythe Triumph Healthcare hospital system is the third largest long term acute care provider nationally.[156]
Transportation[edit]
Main article: Transportation in Houston
Highways[edit]
I-10 and I-45 interchange
The predominant form of transportation in Houston is the automobile with 71.7 percent of residents driving alone to work[157] This is facilitated through Houston's freeway system, comprising 739.3 miles (1,189.8 km) of freeways and expressways in a ten-county metropolitan area.[158]
Sony PCG-81411L Battery
However, the Texas Transportation Institute's annual Urban Mobility Report found that Houston had the fourth-worst congestion in the country with commuters spending an average of 58 hours in traffic in 2009.[159] Sony PCG-61412L Battery
Houston's highway system has a hub-and-spoke freeway structure serviced by multiple loops. The innermost loop is Interstate 610, which encircles downtown, the medical center, and many core neighborhoods with around a 10-mile (16 km) diameter. Sony PCG-71111L Battery
Beltway 8 and its freeway core, the Sam Houston Tollway, form the middle loop at a diameter of roughly 25 miles (40 km). A proposed highway project, State Highway 99 (Grand Parkway), would form a third loop outside of Houston. As of 2010, Sony PCG-81111L Battery
Sony PCG-81314L Battery only two out of eleven segments of State Highway 99 have been completed. Houston is located along the route of the proposed Interstate 69 NAFTA superhighway that would link Canada, the U.S. industrial Midwest, Texas, and Mexico. Sony PCG-81112L Battery
Sony PCG-81313L Battery Other spoke freeways either planned or under construction include the Fort Bend Parkway, Hardy Toll Road, Crosby Freeway, and the future Alvin Freeway.
Houston's freeway system is monitored by Houston TranStar—a partnership of four government agencies that are responsible for providing transportation and emergency management services to the region.[160]
Sony PCG-81312L Battery
METRORail light rail
Transit systems[edit]
The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) provides public transportation in the form of buses, light rail, and lift vans. METRO's various forms of public transportation still do not connect many of the suburbs to the greater city. Sony PCG-81113L Battery
Sony PCG-81311L Battery
METRO began light rail service on January 1, 2004 with the inaugural track ("Red Line") running about 8 miles (13 km) from the University of Houston–Downtown (UHD), which traverses through the Texas Medical Center and terminates at Reliant Park. METRO is currently in the design phase of a 10-year expansion plan that will add five more lines.[1Sony PCG-81114L Battery
Sony PCG-81214L Battery61] and expand the current Red Line. Amtrak, the national rail passenger system, provides service to Houston via the Sunset Limited (Los Angeles–New Orleans), which stops at a train station on the north side of the downtown area. The station saw 14,891 boardings and alightings in fiscal year 2008.[162] Sony PCG-71111L Battery
Cycling[edit]
Houston has the largest number of bike commuters in Texas with over 160 miles of dedicated bikeways.[163][164] The city is currently in the process of expanding its on and off street bikeway network.[165] A new Bicycle sharing system known as Houston B-Cycle currently operates 11 different stations in the downtown area and 7 in other parts of Houston.[166]
Airports[edit] Sony PCG-81111L Battery
George Bush Intercontinental Airport
Houston is served by three airports, two of which are commercial that served 52 million passengers in 2007 and managed by the Houston Airport System.[167] The Federal Aviation Administration and the state of Texas selected the "Houston Airport System as Airport of the Year" for 2005,[
Sony PCG-81314L Battery168] largely because of its multi-year, $3.1 billion airport improvement program for both major airports in Houston.
The primary city airport is George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), the sixth-busiest in the United States for total passengers, and fourteenth-busiest worldwide.[169] Bush Intercontinental currently ranks third in the United States for non-stop domestic and international service with 182 destinations.[170]
Sony PCG-81313L Battery In 2006, the United States Department of Transportation named George Bush Intercontinental Airport the fastest-growing of the top ten airports in the United States.[171] The Houston Air Route Traffic Control Center stands on the George Bush Intercontinental Airport grounds.
Houston was the headquarters of Continental Airlines until its 2010 merger with United Airlines with headquarters in Chicago; regulatory approval for the merger was granted in October of that year. Bush Intercontinental became United Airline's largest airline hub.[17Sony PCG-81112L Battery
Sony PCG-81311L Battery2] The airline retained a significant operational presence in Houston while offering more than 700 daily departures from the city.[173][174] In early 2007, Bush Intercontinental Airport was named a model "port of entry" for international travelers by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.[175] Sony PCG-81113L Battery
The second-largest commercial airport is William P. Hobby Airport (named Houston International Airport until 1967) which operates primarily small to medium-haul domestic flights. Houston's aviation history is showcased in the 1940 Air Terminal Museum located in the old terminal building on the west side of the airport. Sony SVE17 battery
Sony VPCCA1C5E battery
Sony VPCCB4X1E battery
Hobby Airport has been recognized with two awards for being one of the top five performing airports in the world and for customer service by Airports Council International.[176]
Houston's third municipal airport is Ellington Airport (a former U.S. Air Force base) used by military, government, NASA, and general aviation sectors.[177] Sony VPCCA1S1E battery
Sony VPCCA2 battery
Architecture[edit]
Three eras of buildings in Houston: JPMorgan Chase Building (1920s), Pennzoil Place (1970s), and Bank of America Center (1980s)
The northern side of Downtown Houston at night, revealing buildings of various styles and eras.
Main article: Architecture of Houston
See also: List of tallest buildings in Houston
Houston has the third tallest skyline in North America and one of the top 10 in the world.[178][17Sony VPCCA2S0E battery
VPCCB3P1E battery9] A seven-mile (11 km) system of tunnels and skywalks link downtown buildings containing shops and restaurants, enabling pedestrians to avoid summer heat and rain while walking between buildings. Sony VPCCA2Z0E battery
Sony VPCCB3 battery
In the 1960s, Downtown Houston consisted of a collection of mid-rise office structures. Downtown was on the threshold of an energy industry led boom in 1970. A succession of skyscrapers were built throughout the 1970s—many by real estate developer Gerald D. Hines—culminating with Houston's tallest skyscraper, Sony VPCCA3 battery
Sony VPCCB2S1E batterythe 75-floor, 1,002-foot (305 m)-tall JPMorgan Chase Tower (formerly the Texas Commerce Tower), completed in 1982. It is the tallest structure in Texas, 10th tallest building in the United States and the 30th tallest skyscraper in the world, based on height to roof. In 1983, the 71-floor, 992-foot (302 m)- Sony VPCCB2 battery
tall Wells Fargo Plaza (formerly Allied Bank Plaza) was completed, becoming the second-tallest building in Houston and Texas. Based on height to roof, it is the 13th tallest in the United States and the 36th tallest in the world. As of 2007, downtown Houston had over 43 million square feet (4,000,000 m²) of office space.[180] Sony VPCCB2M0E battery
Sony VPCCB2M1E battery
Centered on Post Oak Boulevard and Westheimer Road, the Uptown District boomed during the 1970s and early 1980s when a collection of mid-rise office buildings, hotels, and retail developments appeared along Interstate 610 west. Sony VPCSB1A9E battery
Sony SVS13A1Y9E battery
Uptown became one of the most prominent instances of an edge city. The tallest building in Uptown is the 64-floor, 901-foot (275 m)-tall, Philip Johnson and John Burgee designed landmark Williams Tower (known as the Transco Tower until 1999). At the time of construction, it was believed to the be the world's tallest skyscraper outside of a central business district.
Sony SVS13A1V9E batteryThe Uptown District is also home to buildings designed by noted architects I. M. Pei, César Pelli, and Philip Johnson. In the late 1990s and early 2000s decade, there was a mini-boom of mid-rise and high-rise residential tower construction, with several over 30 stories tall.[181][182][183] In 2002, Uptown had more than 23 million square feet (2,100,000 m²) of office space with 16 million square feet (1,500,000 m²) of Class A office space.[184]
Houston has sports teams for every major professional league, except the National Hockey League. The city currently hosts three of the four major sports in the United States: The Houston Astros is an MLB expansion team formed in 1962 (as the Colt .45s until 1965), who made one World Series appearance (2005), the Houston Rockets, who was formed in 1967 in San Diego and relocated in 1971 (and have won 2 NBA Championships), and the Houston Texans of the NFL.
Minute Maid Park (home of the Astros) and Toyota Center (home of the Rockets and Aeros), are located in Downtown. Houston has the NFL's first retractable-roof stadium, Reliant Stadium (home of the Texans). Minute Maid Park is also a retractable-roof stadium. The Toyota Center also has the largest screen for an indoor arena in the world built to coincide with the arena's hosting of the 2013 NBA All-Star Game. BBVA Compass Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium for the Dynamo, located in East Downtown (EaDo). In addition, Reliant Astrodome was the first indoor stadium in the world, built in 1965. Other sports facilities include Hofheinz Pavilion (Houston Cougars basketball), Rice Stadium (Rice Owls football), and Reliant Arena. A new football stadium is currently under construction for the Houston Cougars football team, and is scheduled to open by August 2014.
Houston has hosted several major sports events: The 1968 MLB All-Star Game, the 1989, 2006 and 2013 NBA All-Star Game, Super Bowl VIII and Super Bowl XXXVIII, as well as hosting the 2005 World Series and 1981, 1986, 1994 and 1995 NBA Finals, winning the latter two. Super Bowl LI is currently slated to be hosted in Houston's Reliant Stadium in 2017.
Houston was home to the now defunct WNBA Comets from 1997 to 2008. The Comets won 4 WNBA Championships (all consecutive) which is still the most championships of any sports team in Houston, and the biggest title streak in Texas. The AFL/NFL Oilers called Houston home from 1960 to 1997 when the team moved to Tennessee and became the Titans.
The city has hosted several major professional and college sporting events, including the annual Shell Houston Open golf tournament. Houston hosts the annual NCAA College Baseball Minute Maid Classic every February and NCAA football's Texas Bowl in December.
The Shell and Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston is an annual auto race on the IndyCar Series circuit. The race is held on a 1.7-mile temporary street circuit in Reliant Park. The next event will be held in October, 2013 sponsored by Royal Dutch Shell and using a tweaked version of the 2006-2007 course.[185] The event has a 5-year race contract through 2017 with IndyCar and Shell, using its Pennzoil brand of motor oil, is signed for 4-years as the event's title sponsor.[186]
Crime[edit]
Houston Police Department Memorial
Houston's murder rate ranked 46th of U.S. cities with a population over 250,000 in 2005 (per capita rate of 16.3 murders per 100,000 population).[ Sony VPCSB1B9E battery
Sony VPCSA4W9E battery187] In 2010, the city's murder rate (per capita rate of 11.8 murders per 100,000 population) was ranked fifth among U.S. cities with a population of over 750,000 (behind New York City, Chicago, Detroit, Dallas, and Philadelphia)[188] according to the FBI. Sony VPCSB1S1E battery
Sony VPCSA3Z9E battery
Murders fell by 37 percent from January to June 2011, compared with the same period in 2010. Houston's total crime rate including violent and nonviolent crimes decreased by 11 percent.[189]
Houston is a significant hub for trafficking of cocaine, marijuana, heroin, MDMA, and methamphetamine due to its size and proximity to major illegal drug exporting nations.[190]
Sony VPCSA3X9E battery
In the early 1970s, Houston, Pasadena and several coastal towns were the site of the Houston Mass Murders, which at the time were the deadliest case of serial killing in American history.[191][192]
Sony VPCSA3S9E battery
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California, for four years, before moving to Houston.[1] Sony VPCSB1S1E battery
In the Rockets' debut season, they won only 15 games. But after drafting Elvin Hayes first overall in the 1969 NBA Draft, they made their first appearance in the playoffs in 1969. Sony VPCSB1V9E battery
Sony VPCSA3M9E battery
Sony VPCSA3N9E batteryAfter Hayes was traded, Moses Malone was later acquired to replace him. Malone went on to win the MVP award twice, and lead Houston to the conference finals in his first year with the team. He also took the Rockets to the NBA Finals in 1981, but they were defeated in six games by Larry Bird's Boston Celtics which also featured the Rockets current head coach, Kevin McHale.[2] Sony vgp-bps24 battery
Sony SVE1511G1EW battery
In 1984, the Rockets drafted Hakeem Olajuwon who, paired with Ralph Sampson and both collectively known as the "Twin Towers", led them to the 1986 Finals in their second and third year respectively, where in another brave effort they lost again to the Boston Celtics.
Sony SVE1711X1EB battery In the next seven seasons, plagued by injury including to Sampson who would be traded in 1988, they lost in the first round of the playoffs five times, until finally advancing in 1993 with a re-tooled roster past the L.A. Sony vgp-bpsc24 battery
Sony SVE1711V1EB battery Clippers and battle the rival Seattle SuperSonics to the bitter end before falling short in an overtime Game 7. Inspired by the tough playoff defeat, Olajuwon famously proclaimed to the team "We go from here." The Rockets stormed all the way to the 1994 NBA Finals, where Olajuwon led them to the franchise's first championship against his rival Patrick Ewing and the New York Knicks. Sony VPCSD1S1C battery
Sony SVE1711K1EW battery The team repeated as champions in 1995 with a memorable run as the 6th seed in the West and sweeping the favored Orlando Magic led by a young Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway. After winning two championships, Sony SVS15 battery
Sony SVE1711T1EB batterythe Rockets traded away most of the championship team for Charles Barkley, changed their championship uniforms, and, to date, have not advanced to the finals again.
Sony SVE151C11M battery They missed the playoffs from 2000–2003 and did not reach the playoffs again until they drafted Yao Ming and they did not advance past the first round of the playoffs again until 2009.[3] Following Yao Ming's retirement in 2011, Sony VPCSA2Z9E battery
Sony SVE171A11M batterythe Rockets entered a period of rebuilding, failing to reach the playoffs for 3 straight seasons. With a complete dismantling of the team entering the 2012 season, the Rockets have proclaimed "a new age" and their period of rebuilding over, capped by their first playoffs clinch on April 9, 2013. Sony VPCCA4S1E battery
During the Rockets' years in San Diego, they played in the San Diego Sports Arena.
The Rockets were founded in 1967 in San Diego, and after being bought by Robert Breitbard for US$1.75 million,[1Sony VPCCB3M1E battery
Sony SVS1311P9EB battery] they joined the NBA as an expansion team for the 1967–68 NBA season.[4] The San Diego franchise nickname became the "Rockets" due to the local development (General Dynamics) of the Atlas missile and booster rocket program. Jack McMahon was named the Rockets' coach, Sony VPCCA3S1E battery
Sony SVS1311E3EW battery [5] and the team's first draft pick, in 1967, was Pat Riley.[6][7] The Rockets lost 67 games in their inaugural season,[8] which was then an NBA record for losses in a season.[9]
Sony SVS151A12M battery
In 1968, after the Rockets won a coin toss against the Baltimore Bullets to determine who would have the first overall pick in the 1968 NBA Draft,[10] they selected Elvin Hayes from, coincidentally, the University of Houston.[11] Sony VPCCA2S1E battery
Sony SVS151A11M batteryHayes led the team to the franchise's first ever playoff appearance in 1969,[12] but the Rockets lost in the semi-finals of the Western Division to the Atlanta Hawks, four games to two.[12] Sony SVS131B12M battery In 1970, the Rockets drafted future Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy and future Rockets championship coach Rudy Tomjanovich, who would both play for the Rockets all their careers, and would make the NBA All-Star Team several times.[13][14] Sony SVS13A1U9ES battery
Sony SVS13AA11M battery
Coached by Hall of Fame coach Alex Hannum, the Rockets tallied a 57–97 record in the following two seasons, and did not make the playoffs in either season.[15][16] Because of the low performance and attendance, Breitbard looked to sell the team,[ Sony VPCSB4S9E battery
Sony PCG-4121GM battery
1] and in 1971, Texas Sports Investments, which was led by real estate broker Wayne Duddleston and banker Billy Goldberg, bought the franchise for $5.6 million, and moved the team to Houston.[1
Sony PCG-41214M battery] The franchise became the first NBA team in Texas,[17] and the team's nickname of "Rockets" kept its relevance after the move.[18]
1971-1976: Improving in Houston with Murphy and Rudy-T[edit]
Before the start of the 1971–72 NBA season, Hannum left for the Denver Rockets of the American Basketball Association (The Denver Rockets would be the Nuggets by the ABA-NBA merger),[19] and Tex Winter was hired in his place.[20Sony VPCSE2F1E battery
Sony PCG-41414M battery] However, Winter, who said that Hayes had "the worst fundamentals of any player" he had ever coached,[21] applied a system that contrasted with the offensive style to which Hayes was accustomed. Because of the differences between Winter and Hayes,
Sony PCG-41218M battery Houston traded Hayes, who had led the Rockets in scoring for four straight years,[2] to the Baltimore Bullets for Jack Marin at the end of the 1971–72 season. It was also around this time that the Rockets would use their classic logo used until the end of the 1994–95 season.[22
Sony PCG-41213M battery] Winter left soon after, in the spring of 1973, following the Rockets 10th straight loss,[20] and he was replaced by Johnny Egan.[23]
In 1974 the Rockets unveiled their classic uniforms that matched the font of the logo and would be used for the next 21 years. In the 1975 NBA Playoffs they would not only make their first appearance since 1969 in San Diego but also advanced to the second round past the New York
Sony PCG-41211M batteryKnicks 2 games to 1 and advanced to meet the veteran Boston Celtics, which shut the young Rockets down in 5 games. It was by this time that Houston had become rather fond of their basketball team selling out several games down the stretch of the regular season as the Rockets battled for a playoff spot, and then sold out all home playoff games. Sony VPCSE2V9E battery
1976-1982: The Moses Malone era[edit]
In the 1975–76 NBA season the Rockets finally had a permanent home in Houston as they moved into The Summit, which they would call home for the next 29 years. The following season (after missing the 1976 playoffs), under coach Egan's guidance, as well as ABA Newcomer Moses Malone and veterans Tomjanovich, Sony PCG-4121DM battery
Sony PCG-4121EM batteryMurphy, and Mike Newlin to help lead the way, the Rockets won the franchise's first division title, the 1977 Central Division title at 49–33, and made their second appearance in the playoffs since arriving in Houston.[2Sony PCG-41311M battery
] After a first round bye for having the second best record in the East, the Rockets defeated the Washington Bullets led by former Rocket Elvin Hayes as well as Bullet stars Wes Unseld and Dave Bing in the Eastern Conference Semifinals 4–2, but lost to the Philadelphia 76ers led by former ABA star Julius Erving 4 games to 2 in the Eastern Conference Finals.[24] Sony PCG-41313M battery
Early into the 1977–78 season, at a game on December 9, 1977, Kevin Kunnert got into a fight with Kermit Washington of the Los Angeles Lakers. As Tomjanovich approached the altercation, Washington turned and threw a punch that landed squarely in the face of an approaching Tomjanovich, causing numerous fractures in his face.[25Sony PCG-41315M battery
Sony VGP-BPS20/B battery] Tomjanovich spent the next five months in rehabilitation and was not available for selection in the 1978 All-Star Game, and Malone went in his place as the lone Rocket All-Star that season. Rudy-T's averages for the season significantly declined after the injury,[26] and without the leadership of team captain Rudy-T, Sony PCG-4R2M battery
Sony VGP-BPL20 batteryHouston finished with just 28 wins in the season, despite an excellent season by Calvin Murphy.[27]
In the following season, Malone, Murphy, and Tomjanovich all played in the 1979 NBA All-Star Game, and "The Chairman Of The Boards" Moses Malone received the 1979 MVP Award.[28] The Rockets also sent John Lucas II to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Rick Barry,
Sony VPCZ23K9E batterywho went on to set the NBA record at the time for free throw percentage in a season by shooting 94.7%.[29] The Rockets went 47–35 in Nissalke's last season as coach, and finished second in the Central Division, but were swept 2–0 against Atlanta in a best-of-three first-round series.[3Sony PCG-4R2M battery
Sony VPCZ21Q9E battery0] In Houston's 1979–80 campaign, Del Harris replaced Nissalke as head coach, and he led the Rockets to a 41–41 record, tying the San Antonio Spurs for second place in the Central Division.[31] After the Rockets defeated the Spurs two games to one in their first-round playoff series, they were swept by the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semi-finals, led by rookie Larry Bird.[31] Sony PCG-4U2M battery
In 1979 George Maloof, a businessperson from Albuquerque, New Mexico, bought the Rockets for $9 million. Bill Schadewald of the Houston Business Journal said that, at that time, "I could arrive just before game time, pay a desperate scalper two bucks for a ticket and sit just about anywhere in The Summit."[32] Sony PCG-6112M battery
In the 1980–81 season, after the newly-established Dallas Mavericks became the third NBA team in Texas,[33] the NBA restructured the conferences and sent the Rockets, who had previously played in the Eastern Conference, to the Midwest Division of the Western Conference.
Sony VPCZ13Z9E/X battery In Harris's second season, Houston tied with Kansas City for second place in the Midwest Division behind San Antonio with a 40–42 record, and qualified for the playoffs with just one game left.[34] During the season, Murphy set two NBA records, by sinking 78 consecutive free throws to break Rick Barry's mark of 60 set in 1976, and achieving a free-throw percentage of .958, breaking Barry's record set with the Rockets in 1979.[35] Sony PCG-6121M battery
In the playoffs, Houston began a run that began when they upset Los Angeles two games to one, and then confronting George Gervin's San Antonio Spurs in a classic Battle of Texas, which would see the Rockets defeat the Spurs four games to three in the Western Conference semifinals,
Sony VPCZ13M9E/B batteryending in a climactic Game 7 at the hostile HemisFair Arena where Calvin Murphy would score a playoff career-high 42 points.[36] This resulted in a surprise conference finals matchup with the likewise 40–42 Kansas City Kings, who were led by Otis Birdsong, Scott Wedman, and Phil Ford. Sony PCG-6122M battery
Sony VPCZ13 battery When the Kings fell to the Rockets in five games,[36] the Rockets became only the second team in NBA history (after the 1959 Minneapolis Lakers) to advanced to the Finals after having a losing record in the regular season, and thus met Larry Bird's Boston Celtics in the finals round.[37] Sony PCG-6123M battery
Sony PCG-6124M batteryHowever, after blowing a late lead in Game 1 against the Celtics, and actually winning Game 2 at the legendary Boston Garden, the Rockets failed to capitalize on the early surprising success against the favored Celtics, Sony VPCZ11 battery
and Houston eventually lost in six games.[38] During the Playoff run, the Rockets received strong play from Mike Dunleavy, Calvin Murphy, Tom Henderson, Bill Willoughby, Billy Paultz, Allen Leavell, Robert Reid, Major Jones, and even an older Rudy Tomjanovich who hit critical free throws in game 2, in addition to the superb performance of Moses Malone. Sony VPCZ11X9E/B battery
1983-1987: The Twin Towers[edit]
This section's tone or style may not reflect the encyclopedic tone used on Wikipedia. See Wikipedia's guide to writing better articles for suggestions. (June 2012)
The following season, the Rockets improved their regular season mark to 46–36 but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.[39Sony VPCZ11Z9E battery
Sony VGP-BPS20 battery] Although Malone won the league's Most Valuable Player award in that season,[28] in the following offseason, the Rockets traded him to the Philadelphia 76ers for Caldwell Jones,[28Sony VPCZ11Z9E/B battery
Sony VPCZ23N9E battery] to avoid paying his salary, which was a decision the Rockets were forced to make as they were low on funds due to a declining regional economy at the time.[40] When the Rockets finished a league worst 14–68,[41] Celtics coach Bill Fitch was hired to replace outgoing Del Harris,[40] and after winning a coin flip with the Indiana Pacers to obtain the first pick of the 1983 NBA Draft,[40] the Rockets selected Ralph Sampson from the University of Virginia.[42]
Although the Rockets finished only 29–53 in the 1983–1984 season, Ralph Sampson was awarded the NBA Rookie of the Year award,[4Sony VPCZ12C7E/B battery
Sony VPCZ23M9E battery3] after averaging 21 points and 11 rebounds per game.[43] Houston was again given the first pick of the 1984 NBA Draft, and they used it to select Hakeem Olajuwon from the University of Houston.[44] Sony VPCZ12M9E battery
Sony VPCZ21X9R batteryIn his first season, Olajuwon finished second to Michael Jordan in NBA Rookie of the Year balloting,[45] and the Rockets record improved by 19 games good for 2nd place in the Midwest division (after Denver) Sony VPCZ12M9E/B battery
Sony VPCZ21V9E battery and the third seed in the west, though they were upset in the first round of the playoffs by the sixth seeded Utah Jazz.[46] In the following season, both Olajuwon and Sampson were named to the Western Conference All-Stars in that year's all-star game,[47] and the duo was nicknamed the "Twin Towers".[48] Sony VPCZ12V9E battery
The next season Houston won the Midwest Division title with a 51–31 record. One game against the Phoenix Suns epitomized the effectiveness and promise of the Twin Towers in which Ralph
Sony VPCZ12Z9E/X batterySampson bringing the ball up-court passed an alley-oop to an eager Hakeem Olajuwon far above the reach of their opponents. In the playoffs, the Rockets breezed past the Sacramento Kings in a 3–0 first round sweep, but struggled with Alex English's Denver Nuggets, including one game going to double overtime, Sony VPCZ12V9E/B battery
Sony VPCZ12Z9E/B battery which had the positive effect of getting the Rockets to play together as a cohesive team with great chemistry, and eventually pulled away with the victory over the Nuggets 4–2. When faced with defending champion Lakers in the Conference Finals, the Rockets were ready to knock off their rivals who had the best of them during the season. However, the Rockets lost game 1, Sony VGP-BPS13 Battery
Olajuwon's spinning reverse dunks and Sampson's alley-oops notwithstanding, but the Rockets came back with 4 straight wins against the star-studded defending champions in an impressive four games to one series victory, a feat that no other Western Conference team had come close to doing against the Showtime Lakers. Sony VGP-BPS13/Q battery
Sony VGP-BPS21B batteryIn Game 5 of that series in Los Angeles, Robert Reid hit a crucial 3 pointer to tie the game with less than 30 seconds left. Perennial back-up guard Allen Leavell pulled down a defensive rebound and wisely called time out with only fractions of a second left, allowing the Rockets to inbounds the ball at half-court. Sony VGP-BPS13A/B battery
Sony VGP-BPS21A battery Pat Riley did not have anybody guard the inbounds pass which allowed Rodney McCray a clean pass to Sampson who provided one of the most memorable moments in NBA Playoff history- with the score tied at 112 apiece, Olajuwon having been ejected due to a fight with Mitch Kupchak, and only 1 second remaining on the clock, Sampson launched a miraculous, twisting turnaround jumper that bounced straight up off the rim before sailing through the hoop at the buzzer, Sony VGP-BPS13/S battery
giving the Rockets a 114–112 victory and a shocking but strong series upset, 4 games to 1, with the 4 being four straight wins against the defending champions. Replays show in the corner of the screen a disbelieving Michael Cooper comically collapsing to the floor under the basket. Sony VGP-BPS13B/S battery
In the NBA Finals the Rockets faced the Boston Celtics. Boston sportswriters were not happy about not getting a shot at revenge against the Lakers who had beaten the Celtics in the Finals the year before, yet the matchup was interesting with the young front court challenging the old guard of the Celtics front court of Bird, Sony VGP-BPS13A battery
Sony VGP-BPL21 battery McHale and Parish. During the season at the Boston Garden, the Rockets were playing the Celtics well until Sampson suffered a jarring fall on his back. At the start of the Finals, Sampson quickly found himself in foul trouble early in game one as Boston held its serve easily leading 2–0 going back to Houston. Sony VGP-BPS13A/S battery
Sony VGP-BPS13B/B batteryHouston won a close game 3 under the leadership of Sampson (and the national anthem sung by one Willie Nelson). Game 4 also went down to the wire with the Celtics pulling it out on late Larry Bird 3 pointer heroics and untimely turnovers by Rockets guard Mitch Wiggins. Sony VGP-BPS13AS battery
Sony VGP-BPS13B battery In a similarly close Game 5 in Houston (under the 2–3–2 format) Sampson inexplicably and unprofessionally succumbed to taunting by the much smaller and less significant 6-foot-1 Boston guard Jerry Sichting resulting in Sampson taking a swing and an ejection from the game. Strangely, Sony VGP-BPS13S battery
Sony VGP-BPS13AB battery this fired up the Rockets who won game 5 by 15 points without Ralph thanks to the inspired play of Hakeem Olajuwon, Jim Peterson and Robert "Bobby Jo" Reid. Game 6 went back to Boston with Sampson finding himself again in foul trouble and of little effect against the older and wiser Celtic front court of Bird, Sony VGP-BPS13A/Q battery
Sony VGP-BPS13A/R batteryMcHale and Parish. After the series, Boston coach KC Jones called the Rockets, "the new monsters on the block" with the future looking very bright for the Rockets. During the six-game championship series loss against the Celtics, Sampson averaged 14.8 points on .438 shooting, 9.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. Sony VGP-BPL11 Battery
The Rockets again made the playoffs, and advanced to the second round past favored Clyde Drexler and his Portland Trail Blazers (eventually proving to be their last playoff victory until 1993), before being eliminated by the Seattle SuperSonics in Game 6, a double-overtime classic in which Olajuwon scored 49 points in the losing cause.[ Sony VGP-BPL12 Battery
49] Early in the 1987–88 season, Sampson was traded to the Golden State Warriors, bringing the Twin Towers era to an end. Sampson's once-promising career was shortened due to chronic knee injuries, which forced his retirement in 1991. Sony VGP-BPL14 Battery
Sony VGP-BPS21/S BatteryKC Jones' prophecy of the Rockets being the "new monsters on the block" never materialized until the early 90's.
1987-2001: The Hakeem Olajuwon era[edit]
In the next five seasons, the Rockets were either eliminated in the first round of the playoffs[50][51] Sony VGP-BPL14B Battery
Sony VGP-BPS21B Battery [52] or from playoff contention, despite Don Chaney replacing Fitch as head coach in 1988.[53]
Chaney, also a former Celtic, was named the Coach of the Year for the 1990–91 season,[53] but the Rockets were once again eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, 3–0 to the Lakers.[54] While Olajuwon continued to post all-star numbers, Sony VGP-BPL14/S Battery
he didn't receive the needed support from his teammates. Nevertheless, the Rockets began to rebuild their nucleus that would later make an impact in the years to come, with players such as Kenny Smith, Vernon Maxwell, Robert Horry, Mario Elie, Sam Cassell and Otis Thorpe arriving during this period. Sony VGP-BPL15/B Battery
Midway through the next season, with the Rockets' record only 26–26, Chaney was replaced by former Houston player Rudy Tomjanovich.[55] Although the Rockets did not make the playoffs,[55Sony VGP-BPL21 Battery
Sony VGP-BPS21 Battery] in the next year, the Rockets won-loss record improved by 13 games, as they won 55 games.[56] However, the Seattle SuperSonics eliminated them in the conference semifinals in a game 7 overtime loss.[5Sony VGP-BPS8 Battery
Sony VGP-BPS15/S Battery6] Nevertheless, the 1993 season was a step forward in the team's development, which would materialize the following year.
1993-95: Championship years[edit]
The Summit (later Compaq Center) hosted the Rockets from 1975 to 2003, and was also the site where the Rockets won both of their NBA titles in 1994 and 1995. Today the site is now Lakewood Church.
On July 30, 1993, Sony VGP-BPS12 Battery
Sony VGP-BPS15/B BatteryLeslie Alexander purchased the Rockets for $85 million.[57] In Tomjanovich's second full year as head coach, the Rockets began the 1993–94 season by tying an NBA record with a start of 15–0.[5Sony VGP-BPS12/Q Battery
8] Led by Olajuwon, who was named the MVP and Defensive Player of the Year,[59] the Rockets won a franchise-record 58 games.[2][60] The Rockets recovered from being two games down to the Phoenix Suns in the second round of the playoffs,[61Sony VGP-BPS13A Battery
] to advance to the finals.[60] Houston was once again down by three games to two to the New York Knicks, but they managed to win the last two games on their home court, and claim their first championship in franchise history.[2Sony VGP-BPS13B/B Battery
Sony VGP-BPS15 Battery] Olajuwon was awarded the Finals MVP, after averaging 27 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots a game, and after close to a quarter of a century associated with the Rockets, Rudy Tomjanovich finally won a championship ring as head coach.[59
The Rockets initially struggled in the first half of the 1994–95 season,[62] and ended up winning only 47 games, which was 11 games lower than their previous year's total.[60][63] In a midseason trade with Portland, the Rockets obtained guard Clyde Drexler, a former teammate of Olajuwon at the University of Houston,[64Sony VGP-BPS13B/S Battery
Sony VGP-BPS14B Battery] in exchange for Otis Thorpe.[65] Houston entered the playoffs as the sixth seed in the Western Conference, but managed to defeat the 60–22 Utah Jazz in the first round.[63]
Sony VGP-BPS14/B BatteryThey fell behind 3–1 to the 59–23 Phoenix Suns in the second round, but won three straight to win the series, and became the first team in NBA history to overcome both a 2–0 and 3–1 series deficit in a seven-game series.[66] Sony VGP-BPS13B/Q Battery
Sony VGP-BPS14 Battery The Rockets then beat the 62–20 San Antonio Spurs in the conference finals,[63] to reach the Finals against the Orlando Magic, led by Shaquille O'Neal and Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway.[6Sony VGP-BPS13/Q Battery
Sony VGP-BSP13/S Battery7] When Houston swept the series in four straight games,[63] they became the first team in NBA history to win the championship as a sixth seed, and the first to beat four 50-win teams in a single postseason en route to the championship.[ Sony SVS15 battery
Sony SVS1311E3EW battery68] Olajuwon, who had averaged 35.3 points and 12.5 rebounds against the Spurs and regular-season MVP David Robinson in the conference finals,[69] was named the Finals MVP, becoming only the second player after Michael Jordan to win the award two years in a row.[68] Sony VPCSA2Z9E battery
Sony SVS151A12M battery
1995-2001: Big Three and demise[edit]
The Rockets won 48 games in the 1995–96 campaign,[70] in which Olajuwon became the NBA's all-time leader in blocked shots.[71] They beat the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs, but were swept by the Seattle SuperSonics in the second round.[70] Sony SVS13AA11M battery
Before the start of the succeeding season, the Rockets made a dramatic trade that sent four players to Phoenix for Charles Barkley.[72] The resulting "Big Three" of Olajuwon, Drexler, and Barkley led the Rockets to a 57–25 record,[7Sony SVS131B12M battery
Sony SVS151A11M battery3] and Houston swept Minnesota in the first round. However, after a 7-game battle with Seattle, the Rockets fell in the Western Conference finals to the Utah Jazz 4-2 on a dramatic last-second shot by John Stockton, the Jazz being a team they had beaten on their way to championships in 1994 and 1995.[ Sony VPCSE2F1E battery
Sony SVE1511P1E battery
73] Despite not winning the NBA championship that year, the 1996-97 season is still considered as one of the team's greatest moments in franchise history.
The 1997–98 season was marked by injuries,[74] Sony VPCSE2V9E battery
Sony SVE1511M1E batteryand the team finished 41–41 with the 8th seed in the Western Conference.[75] Houston once again faced the Jazz, this time in the first round, and they lost the series 3–2.[75] Drexler retired after the season,[76] and the Rockets made another bold trade to bring in Scottie Pippen to take his place.[77] Sony PCG-4121DM battery
Sony PCG-4121EM battery
In the strike-shortened 1998–99 season, the Rockets went 31–19, but lost to the Lakers in the first round 3–1 of the playoffs.[78] After the 1999 draft, the Rockets traded for the second overall pick Steve Francis from the Vancouver Grizzlies, in exchange for four players and a first-round draft pick.[7
Sony SVE1511L1E battery9] However, after Houston traded a discontented Pippen to Portland,[80] and Barkley suffered a career-ending injury,[81] the rebuilt Rockets went 34–48 and missed the playoffs,[82] for only the second time in 15 years.[2] Sony PCG-41211M battery
Sony SVE1511K1E battery
In the 2000–01 season, the Rockets worked their way to a 45–37 record, but still did not make the playoffs.[83] In the following offseason, a 38-year old Olajuwon requested a trade, and, despite stating their desire to keep him, the Rockets reached a sign-and-trade agreement, Sony PCG-41213M battery
Sony SVE1511F1E battery sending him to the Toronto Raptors.[84] The ensuing 2001–02 season was unremarkable, as Houston's first season without Hakeem in almost 20 years was a disappointing 28–54.[85]
2002–2009: The Yao Ming era and arrival of T-Mac[edit]
Yao Ming during his rookie season with the Rockets.
However, after Houston was awarded the first overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft, they selected Yao Ming, a 7 foot 6 inch Chinese center.[86] The Rockets' record improved by 15 games,[87] but they missed the playoffs by one game.[88] Sony PCG-41218M battery
Sony SVE1511A1EW battery
Toyota Center is the current home of the Houston Rockets.
In the 2003-04 season, Houston began playing in their new arena, the Toyota Center,[89] and redesigned their uniforms and logo.[90] Rudy Tomjanovich resigned as head coach after being diagnosed with bladder cancer,[91Sony PCG-41414M battery
] and was replaced by Jeff Van Gundy.[92] The Rockets finished the regular season with a record of 45–37,[93] and earned their first playoff berth since 1999,[2] but the Lakers again handed the Rockets a loss in the first round.[93Sony PCG-41214M battery
Sony PCG-4121GM battery] In the offseason, Houston saw major changes in the roster as the Rockets acquired Tracy McGrady in a seven-player deal with the Orlando Magic.[94] The 2004–05 season saw McGrady and Yao lead the Rockets to their best record in ten years,[2
] finishing at 51–31 and seeded 5th in the Western Conference Playoffs. During the season the duo earned the nickname Rush Hour.[95] However, their season ended in the first round of the playoffs as they lost to their in-state rival, the Dallas Mavericks, in seven games,[95] despite leading the series 2–0.[96] Sony PCG-41311M battery
Try-plagued year in which McGrady and Yao missed a total of 70 games, the team finished with only 34 wins, and missed the playoffs.[97] The Rockets improved by 18 games the next year, with 52 wins,[98]
Sony VPCZ23M9E battery but once again lost in the first round after leading 2–0, when they lost in seven games to Utah.[99] After the loss, Van Gundy was fired,[100] and the Rockets hired Rick Adelman to replace him.[101] In the 2007–08 NBA season, despite Yao suffering a season-ending injury for the second time in three years,[10Sony PCG-41313M battery
Sony VPCZ21X9R battery2] the Rockets won 22 consecutive games, which is the third longest winning streak in NBA history.[103] Houston finished their season 55–27,[104] but were eliminated for the second year in row by the Jazz in the first round of the playoffs, 4 games to 2. In 2008–2009 the Rockets ended the season 53–29, Sony PCG-41314M battery
Sony VPCZ21V9E battery reaching the number 5 spot. With McGrady out with season-ending surgery the Rockets were still able to get out of the first round, beating the Portland Trail Blazers 4 games to 2. The series win was their first since 1997. During the series, Dikembe Mutombo injured his knee, which forced him to retire after 18 seasons in the NBA. [10
Sony VPCZ12Z9E/X battery5] However Yao Ming suffered yet another season-ending injury, this time a hairline fracture in his left foot during Game 3 of their second round series against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Rockets lost the series 4–3. Sony PCG-41315M battery
2009–2012: "Competitive Rebuilding"[edit]
On July 8, 2009, the Rockets signed forward Trevor Ariza to a 5 year, 32 million dollar contract using the Disabled Player Exception allowed by the league through the injury of Yao Ming. Ariza was a former member of the Los Angeles Lakers. Sony PCG-4R2M battery
On September 23, 2009, the Rockets unveiled new alternate uniforms, which were inspired from the 1994–95 championship uniforms and featured similar colors. On February 18, 2010, hours before the trade deadline, the Rockets acquired Kevin Martin, Jordan Hill, Sony PCG-4R2M battery
Sony VPCZ12V9E/B battery Hilton Armstrong, and Jared Jeffries in a 3-way team trade that sent Tracy McGrady to the New York Knicks, and Joey Dorsey and Carl Landry to the Sacramento Kings. Despite the stellar play of Carl Landry and Aaron Brooks before the McGrady trade and the arrival of Martin, the Rockets could not make it to the playoffs, finishing 42–40, Sony PCG-4U2M battery
Sony VPCZ12V9E battery 3rd in the Southwest. At that time, the Rockets set an NBA record for best record by a team with no All-Stars.[106] On April 22, Aaron Brooks was named the NBA Most Improved Player, beating Kevin Durant and George Hill who both came in second place.
The Rockets drafted Patrick Patterson of Kentucky with the 14th pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. On July 15, the Rockets signed free agent Brad Miller. About one month later, Trevor Ariza was traded to the New Orleans Hornets in a 4 team, 5 player trade. Sony PCG-6Z4M battery
Sony VPCZ12M9E batteryThe Rockets received Courtney Lee from the New Jersey Nets in return. At the start of the new season, after five games Yao Ming injured his left ankle. After being examined, what was thought to be a mild sprain turned out to be a stress fracture which kept Yao out of the court for another season. Sony PCG-6112M battery
Sony VPCZ12C7E/B battery In July 2011, Yao, only 30, retired after a series of unfortunate injuries after his short career as the best Rockets center since Hakeem Olajuwon. On February 24, 2011 the Rockets traded Shane Battier to the Grizzlies for Hasheem Thabeet and a first round pick. They also traded Aaron Brooks to the Phoenix Suns for Goran Dragić and a first round pick.
Sony VPCZ11Z9E/B battery For the second straight season the Rockets failed to make the playoffs, although they finished the year with a winning record. Coach Adleman left the Rockets right after the season, and talks of a new coach include championship-era Rockets star Sam Cassell and hall-of-fame Celtics former star Kevin McHale. A few days later, the Rockets hired Kevin McHale as their new head coach. Sony PCG-6121M battery
Sony VPCZ11Z9E batteryWith the 14th pick of the 2011 NBA Draft, the Houston Rockets selected Marcus Morris from the University of Kansas. And with the 38th pick in that same draft, they selected Chandler Parsons from the University of Florida. Sony PCG-6122M battery
Sony VPCZ11X9E/B batteryNearing the trade deadline on March 15, 2012 the Rockets traded Hasheem Thabeet and Jonny Flynn to the Portland Trail Blazers for Marcus Camby. The Rockets also sent Jordan Hill to the Lakers in return for Derek Fisher (later waived and signed by the Thunder) and a first round pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. Sony PCG-6124M battery
Before the 2012 NBA Draft, The Milwaukee Bucks sent the 12th pick, Shaun Livingston, Jon Brockman, and Jon Leuer to the Rockets for the 14th overall pick and Samuel Dalembert, while the Minnesota Timberwolves traded the 18th pick for Chase Budinger. Sony VPCZ13 battery
In the 2012 NBA Draft, Houston drafted Jeremy Lamb of Connecticut, Royce White of Iowa State, and Terrence Jones of Kentucky with the 12th, 16th, and 18th picks.
2012–present: A New Age[edit]
After dealing away Kyle Lowry to the Toronto Raptors for an unprotected first-round draft pick and letting Goran Dragić return to the Phoenix Suns via free agency, Houston was in search of a point guard. On July 11, The Rockets signed Jeremy Lin to a 3 year, Sony VPCZ13M9E/B battery
Sony VGP-BPS20/S battery$25.1 million contract as the New York Knicks decided not to match this offer. Lin achieved worldwide fame with a 25 game stretch of high performance basketball play known as "Linsanity", where he stepped up in place of the New York Knicks' injured stars.
Sony VGP-BPS20/B batteryOn July 20, restricted free agent from the Chicago Bulls Ömer Aşık signed an offer sheet with the Rockets, worth $25.1 million for three years. The Bulls decided to not match the offer on July 24, 2012,
Sony VGP-BPL20 batteryand he officially joined the Rockets. On October 27, 2012 the Rockets traded Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb and two future first-round picks (one of which was the pick received for Lowry) for reigning sixth man of the year James Harden, along with Cole Aldrich, Daequan Cook, and Lazar Hayward; Hayward was released shortly after the trade. Harden had 37 points, 12 assists, 6 rebounds,
Sony VPCZ23K9E battery 4 steals, and a block in his debut as a Rocket, while Jeremy Lin, whose playing time was limited by foul trouble, had 12 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, and 4 steals. Harden also signed a 5-year extension contract with the Rockets worth approximately $80 million. Sony VPCZ13V9E battery
Harden scored a career-high 45 points in his second game with the Rockets against the Atlanta Hawks. Jeremy Lin tied a career-high of 38 points in an overtime loss to the Spurs while Harden was out with an ankle sprain. James Harden became the face of the franchise and was selected to the 2013 NBA All-Star game, which was held in Houston. James Harden is also the first all-star to play for the Rockets since Yao Ming. Sony VPCZ13Z9E/X battery
On February 5, 2013, the Houston Rockets equaled the NBA team record for the most made 3-point field goals of 23 against the Golden State Warriors. In this game, the Rockets also achieved a home game record for most points scored at the Toyota Center with a 140-109 victory. Sony VGN-TT battery
The Rockets acquired 2012 5th overall pick Thomas Robinson in a trade with the Sacramento Kings on Feb. 20, 2013. They traded away Marcus Morris and Patrick Patterson. On that same night, the Rockets defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 122-119 after trailing by 14 with 6:58 remaining in the game. Sony VGP-BPL14 battery
Despite being the youngest team in the NBA, the Rockets became one of the highest scoring offenses in the NBA. Even more remarkable was that only three players - starting forward Chandler Parsons, Greg Smith, and Aaron Brooks who they signed from the Sacramento Kings via contract buyout- were left from the 2011-12 roster. Sony VGP-BPL14/B battery
Head coach Kevin McHale ran an up-tempo offense that put emphasis on transition baskets, shooting three-pointers, and playing at a fast pace. As a result, the Rockets became one of the highest scoring offenses in the NBA, leading the league in scoring for the majority of the season.
Sony VGN-Z51WG/B batteryIn the post-season, the Rockets fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round, losing 4-2 in the series.
On July 5, 2013, Dwight Howard confirmed in his Twitter that he will sign with the Houston Rockets.
Season-by-season records[edit]
Main article: List of Houston Rockets seasons
Home arenas[edit]
During the four years the Rockets were in San Diego, they played their games in the San Diego Sports Arena,[1] which had a seating capacity of 14,400.[107] In their first season after moving to Houston, the Rockets did not have their own arena in Houston, and they played their first two years at various venues in Houston, Sony VGP-BPL14/S battery
Sony VGN-Z31XN/B battery including the Astrodome, AstroHall, Sam Houston Coliseum and Hofheinz Pavilion, the latter eventually being adopted as their home arena until 1975. They also had to play "home" games in other cities such as San Antonio, Sony VGP-BPS14 battery
Sony VGN-Z41WD/B batteryWaco, Albuquerque, and even San Diego in efforts to extend the fan-base. During their first season, the Rockets averaged less than 5,000 fans per game (roughly half full), and in one game in Waco, there were only 759 fans in attendance.[1] Sony VGP-BPS14/S battery
Their first permanent arena in Houston was the 10,000 seat Hofheinz Pavilion on the campus of the University of Houston, which they moved into starting in their second season. They played in the arena for four years, before occupying The Summit in 1975. The arena, which could hold 16,611 spectators,[10Sony VGN-Z11WN/B battery
Sony VGP-BPS12/Q battery8] was their home for the next 28 years. It was renamed the Compaq Center from 1998–2003.[1] For the 2003–04 season, the Rockets moved into their new arena, the Toyota Center, with a seating capacity of 18,500.[89] In the past fifteen years, the Rockets' attendance was at the lowest in 2002, when their attendance per game was only 11,737, second worst in the league.[1Sony VGN-Z11XN/X battery
Sony VGP-BPS12 battery09] However, the Rockets averaged 17,379 spectators in 2008, their best average attendance to date, which was the season of the famous 22-game winning streak.[110]
Uniforms[edit]
When the Rockets debuted in San Diego, their colors were green and gold. Road uniforms featured the city name, while the home uniforms feature the team name, both in a serifed block lettering. This was the only uniform design the Rockets would use throughout their years in San Diego. The Rockets' first logo is of a rocket streaking with a basketball and the team name surrounding it. Sony VGN-Z21 battery
Upon moving to Houston in 1971, the Rockets replaced green with red. They kept the same design from their San Diego days, save for the change of color and city name. The logo used is of a player with a spinning basketball launching upward, with boosters on his back, leaving a trail of red and gold flames and the words "Houston Rockets" below it. Sony VGN-Z21MN/B battery
For the 1972–73 season, the Rockets introduced the famous "mustard and ketchup" logo, so dubbed by fans, featuring a gold basketball surrounded by two red trails, with "Houston" atop the first red trail and "Rockets" (all capitalized save for the lowercase 'E' and 'T') in black surrounding the basketball. The initial home uniforms, used until the 1975–76 season, Sony VGN-Z21WN/B battery
Sony VGN-Z51 battery features the city name, numbers and serifed player name in red with gold trim, while the away uniforms feature the city name (all capitalized except for the lower case 'T' and 'N'), numbers and serifed player name in gold with white trim.
In the 1976–77 season, the Rockets modified their uniforms, featuring a monotone look on the fonts and white lettering on the road uniforms. Also worth noting is the use of the font Cooper Black on the player's names. On the home shorts, Sony VGN-Z21ZN/X battery
Sony VGN-Z31ZN/B batterythe team logo is located on the right leg, while the away shorts feature the team name wordmark on the same location. With minor modifications in the number font, this version was used in all four of their NBA Finals appearances, including their 1994 and 1995 championships.
Following their 1995 championship triumph, the Rockets opted to modernize their look, in keeping with the cartoon-inspired imagery that other teams adopted during the 1990s. The logo is of a rocket painted with a shark head orbiting a basketball, with the word "Rockets" in a more
Sony VGN-Z31VN/X batteryLCD-inspired livery. Red was retained, but navy blue and silver were added. Both the home white and away navy uniforms featured gradient-fading pinstripes and futuristic number fonts, with side stripes of navy fading to red. This was used until the 2002–03 season. Sony VGN-Z31 battery
Their current logos and uniforms were introduced in the 2003–04 season, featuring Chinese calligraphy-inspired lettering. Others with substantial life experience see it as a brilliant lift of 1930's Flash Gordon rocketry graphics. The logo is of a stylized 'R' surrounded by a red orbit streak. Red, silver and black were the colors used in the current design. Both the red away and the white home uniforms feature an updated number font, which was later simplified when Adidas moved to the Revolution 30 design in 2010. In 2009, the Rockets went back to its championship years by unveiling an alternate red uniform, featuring gold numbers and side stripes.