In this year's draft, the Rockets selected Amen Thompson with the No. 4 pick, the third year in a row that they have selected the top 4 picks. Considering the poor foundation, the road to the reconstruction of the rocket is still very difficult. Looking back at the 56-year draft history of the Golden Team, there have also been very good draft operations, and Olajuwon is their pride. Now, take stock of the top 5 big picks in Rockets history.
The first was Nigerian-born Hakim Olajuwon, who was drafted by the Rockets in 1984 with a top pick, and Olajuwon had many magical experiences: submitting young O'Neal and being drafted before Michael Jordan. Two years after Jordan's retirement, Olajuwon led the Rockets to the only two NBA championships in team history and was elected FMVP twice. In his 18-year career, Olajuwon was named to the All-Star 12 times, All-NBA 12 times, Defense 9 times, DPOY twice, and in 1994 Olajuwon won the only regular season MVP of his career. In 2008, Olajuwon was inducted into the Hall of Fame. And among the 75 superstars in league history, Olajuwon is on the list. Even after retiring, Olajuwon can open a class to teach apprentices, and big stars such as Kobe Bryant and James have been his apprentices. And Olajuwon's latest apprentice is Alperon Shenjing, a 21-year-old young center for the Rockets.
Next up was Elvin Hayes, a top pick drafted by the San Diego Rockets in 1968, who, despite being 2.06 meters tall, was one of the best centers in history. He was a member of the Blazers' 1978 championship and was a 12-time All-Star, 6-time All-NBA, 2-time rebounding and 2-time defensive selection, in addition to scoring during his rookie season. Hayes scored a total of 27,313 points throughout his career, and he was a longtime top 10 scorer in the league's history.
Then we know Yao Ming best, Yao Ming was the first foreign champion in 2002. He is an 8-time All-Star and 5-time All-Star winner. In 2016, Yao Ming was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame along with O'Neal and Allen Iverson. Due to the lack of team honors, Yao Ming's evaluation is actually not very high. Yao is more recognized for his role in promoting basketball in Asia and globally.
The fourth Rudy Tomjanovich, known to many as Tom Shuai is a coach, but he was the top pick in the 1970 San Diego Rockets draft. In an 11-year career, Tom Janovic was selected as an All-Star 5 times. In 2020, Tom Janovic was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach. Throughout his career, Tomjanovic scored a total of 13,383 points.
Last up was Calvin Murphy, the No. 18 pick selected by the San Diego Rockets in 1970. At just 1.75 meters, he is one of the shortest players in history. Even with his short stature, he averaged 20+ scoring seasons in five seasons and was averaging 25.6 points per game in his peak year. In 1993, Murphy was inducted into the Nye Smith Basketball Hall of Fame.