Houston, We Had A Dynasty - Officially Retired

[Andrew]

As Rudy T once said, never underestimate the heart of a champion. Congrats on the repeat, I'm looking forward to the epilogue.

[Stress Fracture]

As Rudy T once said, never underestimate the heart of a champion. Congrats on the repeat, I'm looking forward to the epilogue.

I was about to type that Rudy T quote.

Congratulations. Axel! I told ya, there will be a sweep. And on my new user name, yeah, it came from Yao's unending Stress Fractures.

[Justine.]

Congrats for the second consecutive title

[rise]

Go for a threepeat!

[Houndy]

Go for a threepeat!

In 2k11

[kibaxx7]

Great job man. Hoping for a three-peat in the "other" game.

[Axel The Great]

Congratulations on the repeat. It's a shame you didn't go undefeated through the post-season though.

Yeah, dropping that one game against the Suns didn't help. We had poor fourth quarter execution.

:xmas: Congrats Axel!

The Nets sucked ass, nice job Axel, capping off a shoe-in HoF dynasty with a repeat. Gratz bro

Congrats for the second consecutive title

Thanks guys. But Houndy, what do you mean by shoe-in?

Yeah, like in 1994 and 1995. Congrats man. Can't wait for 2k11 Rockets.
Congrats on HOF.

I think it's a bit early to call this HOF. I still have to finish it out, there's still some things I'd like to post.

As Rudy T once said, never underestimate the heart of a champion. Congrats on the repeat, I'm looking forward to the epilogue.

Rudy T > Phil Jackson. Disregard the rings.

Epilogue(s) will be up shortly.

As Rudy T once said, never underestimate the heart of a champion. Congrats on the repeat, I'm looking forward to the epilogue.

I was about to type that Rudy T quote.

Congratulations. Axel! I told ya, there will be a sweep. And on my new user name, yeah, it came from Yao's unending Stress Fractures.

Thanks. Yeah, but your custom title is a bit odd don't ya think?

Go for a threepeat!

Go for a threepeat!

In 2k11

Great job man. Hoping for a three-peat in the "other" game.

Haha, that's only feasible if the team stays healthy, and if Kevin Martin dominates like he did here. We'll see how it goes.

This is far from over, there's still the end of season chapter/story, the epilogues, and an article or two left. Stay tuned.

[Axel The Great]

Until Next Season

The buzzer sounded. The sold out crowd at Prudential Center began to boo. The whole Rockets team was celebrating, all their hard work in the grueling 82-game season and the post-season paid off. Kevin Martin and Yao Ming both lifted the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

"After an easy post-season and regular season, the Rockets repeat," said Mike Breen. ABC had full coverage of the Finals, and because of the lack of close games, their ratings went down a bit. "Not too surprising. Kevin Martin took Kobe's throne as the best two-guard in the league. And with many excellent supporting players around him, anything short of an NBA Championship would've been a let-down," said Jeff Van Gundy.

Later that night at New Jersey, the whole team went to a bar to celebrate. Kevin Martin ordered a couple of beers for everyone. "Here's to a three-peat and a successful season next year," Kevin Martin said. Everyone raised their beers high, and began chugging down. The team talked and socialized for about an hour, before getting back on the team bus back to their hotel. They would return to Houston the next day, and Kevin Martin had promised to throw a party at his house.

At the hotel, the team parted ways, but Kevin Martin and Yao Ming stayed. "It was a nice season, wasn't it?" Yao asked Martin. "Sure was. Always good to have a big man to clean up my misses on the basketball court," Martin replied laughing. They continued talking, recalling their fun experiences with the team, including the incidents with Brad Halstead.

"So I'll see you next season, then," Yao said extending his hand to Martin. They both shook hands, and Martin said, "Oh, you'll be seeing me right around the time of the preseason, but not just in person."

"What do you mean?" Yao asked.

"Haven't you heard the news?" Martin told him. "I signed a deal with 2K right around the time playoffs began. I'm going to be on the cover of NBA 2K12."

"Whoa! I'll be sure to get it then. I played a bit of 2K11 before, I love the post game controls. But I wonder what they did with the Jordan Challenge?" Yao asked.

"I don't know anything about the game itself. I just agreed to be on the cover, but no news yet about the game. I hope it'll be as good as 2K11, if not better. I don't want this to turn into a Kevin Durant-Elite incident," Martin said laughing.

They both parted ways, but Martin stayed in the lobby. He took out the team picture from his pocket, the one they took on media day before the regular season started. He recalled everything they went through, from the buzzer-beater in overtime at Charlotte against the Bobcats, to the double overtime loss to the Lakers at Los Angeles. The 58-point game against Denver gave him a huge grin on his face. He even laughed at the incidents and rivalry he had with Brad Halstead. "He has his first ring, in the D-League and in the NBA," Kevin Martin thought to himself, "He's come a long way."

"Until next season," Martin said with a sad smile, putting the team picture back in his pocket. Just then, he felt someone grab his hand. It was his wife, she had taken a taxi from Prudential Center back to the hotel.

"I've been looking for you all over," she said. They went back to their hotel room, and judging from the eager look on his wife's face, Kevin Martin knew that his night was not over........

[Axel The Great]

Note: None of this is real, I didn't sim any part of the dynasty to get this far.

The Next Few Seasons

You may be asking, "what now? What happened with the team?" Well, here it is, the next few seasons in the history of the Houston Rockets franchise.

2011-12 Season
Record: 60-22
The lockout was avoided, and the season went on as usual. The Rockets clinched their third consecutive 60-win season, becoming the fifth team in NBA history to do so. In the playoffs, the Rockets turned it up. They swept the first round, won in six games in the second round, and had a heated seven game series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but prevailed after Kevin Martin's game-winning three-point shot at the buzzer. The Rockets then went on to defeat the Orlando Magic in six games to three-peat. Kevin Martin won his third consecutive Finals MVP Award, and third consecutive scoring title in the regular season, averaging a career high 30.4 ppg. Ray Allen retired from the NBA after 15 excellent seasons, with three NBA titles under his name.

2012-13 Season
Record: 58-24
The injury bug returned to the Rockets roster once again, but despite that, they were just two wins away from another 60-win season, and secured the second seed in the playoffs behind the Oklahoma City Thunder. Yao Ming missed 15 games in the regular season, and Kevin Martin missed 10, but in their absences, Aaron Brooks and Luis Scola stepped up, leading the Rockets to many wins without their stars. In the playoffs, the Rockets defeated the Denver Nuggets in five games, but fell short to the Phoenix Suns in the second round in seven games, losing Yao Ming to a twisted ankle in the process. The Suns would then defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder in six games, and defeated the Miami Heat in five. Steve Nash won his first ring, and retired from the NBA. His jersey number 13 was retired at the US Airways Center, and he was also inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame soon afterwards.

2013-14 Season
Record: 54-28
After many frustrating and threatening injuries, Yao Ming announced this was his last season in the NBA. He played excellent. In 75 games, he averaged 18 ppg, 10 rpg, and 1.7 bpg. The Rockets made the playoffs as a fourth seed, and went all the way to the Finals, taking out LeBron and Durant in the process once again. They would defeat the Indiana Pacers in five games, and Yao retired a champion, winning his first ever Finals MVP Award. Shane Battier also announced his retirement of the NBA, retiring with four NBA Championships like Yao Ming. Yao's jersey number 11 was hung on the rafters at Toyota Center next to Hakeem Olajuwon, Calvin Murphy, Clyde Drexler, Rudy Tomjanovich, and Moses Malone.

2014-2015 Season
Record: 45-37
This was a let down season. With Yao Ming and Shane Battier retiring, and losing Aaron Brooks to the free agent market, the Rockets were in a tough spot. This would also be Rick Adelman's last season as head coach. The Rockets did not do well, but despite that, Kevin Martin still had a strong season averaging 21 ppg, and they managed to stay above .500 the whole season. The big surprise though, was big man Gregory Costa. He was resigned in the offseason, and put up big numbers after Yao's retirement. Averaging 17 ppg, 12 rpg, and 2.5 bpg, he quickly became a prolific player in the league. The Rockets lost in the first round of the playoffs. The Orlando Magic would win the championship, Dwight Howard taking Finals MVP. The Oklahoma City Thunder finally moved out of the Western Conference Finals, but as it's been said, the Magic defeated them, in six games.

2015-16 Season
Record: 34-48
Things looked really bad for the Rockets this season. Kyle Lowry signed with San Antonio, and lacked a real point guard the whole season. They were forced to use their rookie point guard, the one they drafted from the 2015 NBA Draft. Kevin Martin began to get restless, demanding a trade, because of the lack of a head coach, and good players. Daryl Morey did a bunch of magic. He hired Shane Battier as head coach, and signed Brad Halstead. Halstead had become a big thing in the NBA after his tenure with the Sacramento Kings. He averaged 15 ppg, 7 apg, and 8 rpg in his time with the Kings. The Rockets didn't make the playoffs however, but given what they had, it was acceptable. After many, many attempts, the Oklahoma City Thunder won the NBA Championship, Kevin Durant took home Finals MVP. LeBron James and Durant finally won their first championship, ending years upon years of frustration.

2016-17 Season
Record: 50-32
The Rockets struck gold in the 2016 NBA Draft, drafting an excellent point guard in Axel Gomez. Out of the University of Texas, Gomez was taken as the 8th overall pick, and did not disappoint. Compared to Steve Nash, he helped his hometown team to an increase of 16 wins, but fell short in the second round of the playoffs. Kevin Martin, Brad Halstead, and Donte Greene continued their stellar play. The Boston Celtics won the title this time around, with Rajon Rondo leading the way, winning the Finals MVP award. The Celtics had acquired excellent players through the draft, after Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce's retirements.

After this season, the Rockets would go on to win two more championships within the next decade, Kevin Martin eventually retired a Rocket, and his jersey number 12 was retired, and hung on the rafters right next to Yao Ming's number 11 at Toyota Center.

Part II coming soon.

[Houndy]

Awesome, never knew Axel did so good. My man Halstead was getting the paychecks in bunches over in Sac-Town, but now returned.

[Axel The Great]

Top 10 Plays of the Dynasty

I am taking all of the videos I've uploaded to youtube, and taking the ten best plays of the dynasty. Here they are:

Number 10:Yao's Third Three

Number 9:K-Mart Takes it All The Way

Number 8:K-Mart's Clutch Shot

Number 7:Luis Scola's Best Poster

Number 6:Accidents Happen

Number 5:Kevin Martin Has Defense

Number 4:AB to Yao

Number 3:K-Mart Sends the Game to Overtime

Number 2:Poster of the Century

Number 1:Overtime Dagger

Shoe-ins: So Much Can Happen in a Second, Over the Hill, and The Best Free Throws... Ever.

Enjoy!

Last edited by Axel The Great on Fri Dec 24, 2010 9:37 am, edited 2 times in total.

[rise]

Good to know the Rockets completely took over, great read.

[Andrew]

Excellent work with the epilogue so far, both the post championship celebrations and the glance into the future. I like that you resisted the temptation of making the future Rockets too dominant and accounted for some ups and downs with players coming and going. Nice selections for the top ten and honourable mentions, too.

[kibaxx7]

Superb epilogue Also nice to see both K-Mart and Yao getting their J's retired!

[Alpha_]

Congrats Axel.! Merry Christmas!

[rise]

Also glad Nash won a ring in Phoenix!

[Stress Fracture]

The epilogue made me LMAO. nice article though.

[George7]

Amazing epilogue Axel! Fantastic way to end a hall of fame caliber story!!

Just love the Rockets' future recap and congrats for the rings!

[Axel The Great]

Awesome, never knew Axel did so good. My man Halstead was getting the paychecks in bunches over in Sac-Town, but now returned.

Yes, Axel is good. Too bad there's zero chance for the 2016 part to come true.

Good to know the Rockets completely took over, great read.

Also glad Nash won a ring in Phoenix!

Yeah, Nash has always been one of my favorite players (disregard his Live counterpart), so I thought I'd give him his championship and have his jersey retired.

Excellent work with the epilogue so far, both the post championship celebrations and the glance into the future. I like that you resisted the temptation of making the future Rockets too dominant and accounted for some ups and downs with players coming and going. Nice selections for the top ten and honourable mentions, too.

Wow, thanks! Making the Rockets too dominant in the future would've been boring for everyone, so having a few ups and downs (and including Halstead in it for his fans) is a good way to go.

Superb epilogue Also nice to see both K-Mart and Yao getting their J's retired!

Thanks. K-Mart getting his jersey retired irl is probably feasible if he stays with the Rockets, but not sure about Yao though.

Congrats Axel.! Merry Christmas!

Thanks.

The epilogue made me LMAO. nice article though.

What part of it was funny?

Amazing epilogue Axel! Fantastic way to end a hall of fame caliber story!!

Just love the Rockets' future recap and congrats for the rings!

Thanks! Didn't know the epilogue would receive such high praise!

Thanks for the kind words/compliments guys. Part II coming up in a few minutes.

[Axel The Great]

Warning: Long read, but well worth it. Again, I didn't sim any part of my dynasty to get this far. Enjoy!

How The Rockets Landed

Now that you know what happened to the team in the next few years, here's how the careers of all the players on the Rockets turned out:


Gregory Costa- Costa ended up being known as the steal of the 2010 NBA Draft. After Yao Ming's retirement is when he really stepped up. The season after Yao's retirement, he averaged 17 ppg, 12 rpg, and 2.5 bpg, with a steal per game thrown in as well. He would become the Rockets' star center, until he turned 29. He tested the free agent waters, and ended up signing with the Utah Jazz, leaving the Rockets without a legitimate center for a few years. He retired after the 2022-23 season, his 12th season in the NBA. His career averages consisted of 17 ppg, 10 rpg, and 2.4 bpg. He was regarded as one of the top 10 draft steals in NBA history when his career was all said and done. He completely revived the low post game, something that was a bit lacking in the NBA ever since the 90's.

Championship Count: 3 (Rockets: '11, '12, '14)


Brad Halstead- After the 2011-12 season, Halstead's rookie contract ended. He was stressed out that no team was going to sign him, and that he would be looking to play overseas or back in the D-League, when the Sacramento Kings signed him to a three-year deal. He played excellent for the Kings. Francisco Garcia got injured 10 games into the season, and that's when Braditude stepped up. He averaged 19 ppg, 8 apg, and 9 rpg for the 2012-13 season. He won the Most Improved Player award after his first season with the Kings. After his tenure with the Kings, Halstead would return to Houston to play alongside Kevin Martin again, moving Donte Greene to the Power Forward spot. After three more seasons with the Rockets, Halstead moved to Indiana, Los Angeles (Clippers), and eventually retired with the Golden State Warriors after the 2024-25 season with 3 championships, his 14th season in the NBA. His career averages were 14 ppg, 7 apg, 6 rpg, and 1.3 spg. He too, was also named one of the top 10 draft steals in NBA history (picked at 38th). He ended up getting 30 career triple-doubles.

Championship Count: 3 (Rockets: '11, '12, '18)


David Andersen- After being traded to the Grizzlies during the 2010 NBA Draft, Andersen was a bit worried about playing time there. With a big logjam of big men, he didn't get much playing time. His contract expired after the 2010-11 season, he didn't get signed by any team, and ended up playing overseas in Greece, at Olympiakos BC. His career averages in the NBA were 4.5 ppg, and 3.5 rpg.

Championship Count: 1 (Rockets: '10)


Jermaine Taylor- Taylor was traded to the Boston Celtics along with Trevor Ariza during the 2010 off-season. He didn't get much playing time there, and after his contract expired, signed with the Charlotte Bobcats, playing back-up shooting guard to Stephen Jackson. He had his best years there, and retired as a Bobcat after the 2021-22 season. His career averages were 8.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg, and 2.3 apg.

Championship Count: 1 (Rockets: '10)


Trevor Ariza- Ariza was traded to the Celtics along with Jermaine Taylor in 2010. He was put at the PF spot, and averaged 10 ppg as a Celtic. He would later be traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, and played the rest of his career there, retiring after the 2015-16 season. His career averages were 9.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.3 apg, and 1.6 spg.

Championship Count: 2 (Lakers: '09, Rockets: '10)


Jared Jeffries- After his contract expired in 2013, Jared Jeffries was signed by the Atlanta Hawks. He didn't get much playing time there, but he did play excellent defense in the time he did get. He would only play two more seasons in Atlanta, retiring after the 2014-15 season. His career averages were 5.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.2 apg, and 1 bpg.

Championship Count: 3 (Rockets: '10, '11, '12)


Jordan Hill- The Rockets picked up the team option after the 2010-11 season, and were not disappointed. He provided a defensive spark off the bench. He quickly established a reputation as an interior defensive player. Through the years, he worked with Yao Ming on his low post game, and it payed off. He left the Rockets after the 2012-13 season, and signed with the Golden State Warriors, filling the rebounding and interior defense they lacked for quite some time. He would play there for three seasons, then he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, played two seasons there, and played his last four seasons with the Portland TrailBlazers. He played 13 seasons in the NBA, retiring after the 2021-22 season. His career averages were 8.5 ppg, 7.9 rpg, and 1.5 bpg.

Championship Count: 4 (Rockets: '10, '11, '12 TrailBlazers: '20)


Chuck Hayes- The Chuckwagon signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder after his contract expired after the 2012-13 season. He became known as one of the most durable players in the league, playing all 82 games for three consecutive seasons for the Thunder, averaging 23 mpg. After the 2015-16 season, in which he won his fourth championship along with LeBron James and Kevin Durant, he signed with the Washington Wizards, and would retire a Wizard after the 2019-20 season, playing 15 seasons in the NBA. He was one of the best role players in the league, despite being undersized for a center and lacking any offensive skills (except for passing abilities), he made up for it in his hustle. His career averages were 4.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg, and 2.3 apg.

Championship Count: 4 (Rockets: '10, '11, '12 Thunder: '16)


Chase Budinger- "Bud" became known as an athletic sharpshooter in the NBA. After the 2012-13 season, he signed with the Chicago Bulls, and was heavily depended upon for his three-point shooting. His best years were with the Bulls; he played there for six seasons before signing with the Indiana Pacers at the start of the 2019-20 season. Bud would retire in Indiana never having won another championship after the 2011-12 season. Bud played 13 seasons in the NBA and his career averages were 13.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.1 apg, and an excellent 42% from three-point range, ranking tenth place in all-time career percentages.

Championship Count: 3 (Rockets: '10, '11, '12)


Donte Greene- After the 2011-12 season, Greene decided to re-sign with the Rockets, despite some tempting offers by Dallas. During the course of that particular season, Maria (his girlfriend/fiancee) would become Maria Greene. Donte himself would step up as a Rocket, he ultimately became a starter next to Kevin Martin, and averaged 13 ppg, 6 rpg, and 4 apg during the season. Greene went on to play 8 more seasons with the Rockets, winning one more ring before heading to Boston, where he would win another championship. He retired as a Celtic after the 2022-23 season, playing 14 seasons in the NBA. His son, Sean Greene, also played in the NBA, playing 12 seasons. Greene would one day run into Damon Stoudamire in Las Vegas, when he and his family took a summer trip there. He gave Stoudamire a smile, and Stoudamire looked frightened and hurriedly walked away. Greene became best friends with Kevin Martin even after retirement.

Championship Count: 6 (Rockets: '10, '11, '12, '14, '18 Celtics: '21)


Kyle Lowry- Lowry continued playing for the Rockets until after the 2015-16 season. He signed with the San Antonio Spurs; they were in heavy pursuit of him after Tony Parker's retirement. He played the rest of his career there, winning one more championship, and retiring after the 2019-20 season. His career averages were 12.3 ppg, 4.7 apg, and 1.3 spg. He won the Most Improved Player award in the 2014-15 season, with the Houston Rockets.

Championship Count: 5 (Rockets: '10, '11, '12, '14 Spurs: '19)


Ray Allen- Ray Allen won two out of the three titles in the Rockets' three-peat years. He retired after the 2011-12 season, with three championships. In his last season, he passed up Peja Stojakovic for all-time free throw percentage, finishing at 89.71%, good for third all-time behind Steve Nash and Mark Price. His career averages were 19.6 ppg, 3.5 apg, and 4.1 rpg.

Championship Count: 3 (Celtics: '08 Rockets: '11, '12)


Luis Scola- Scola turned it up a notch in the third year of the Rockets' three-peat. He stepped up when Yao was absent, averaging 17 ppg, 9 rpg, and 1 bpg for the 2011-12 season. He ended up playing 8 seasons in the NBA, retiring at age 35 after the 2014-15 season. After the Rockets could not four-peat, Scola signed with the San Antonio Spurs, the team that had originally drafted him. After Tim Duncan's retirement, Scola filled in that void he left. His career averages were 13.8 ppg, 7.9 rpg, and 2.5 apg.

Championship Count: 3 (Rockets: '10, '11, '12)


Shane Battier- Shane Battier retired after the 2013-14 season, and would be appointed head coach of the Houston Rockets at the start of the 2015-16 season. He brought in the defensive mentality that Rick Adelman didn't bring to the table in his coaching days. However, the Rockets became a bit too allergic to offense, leading to their constant 82-80-esque games. The team did however allow a franchise low 87.2 ppg for the 2015-16 season. He joined the list of players to win an NBA Championship and an NCAA Championship, and to add to that, two NBA titles as a head coach. His career averages were 9.3 ppg, 1.3 apg, and 4.2 rpg.

Championship Count: 6 (Rockets (player): '10, '11, '12, '14, Rockets (coach): '18, '23)


Aaron Brooks- Aaron Brooks' strongest season with the Rockets was the 2011-12 season, in which he averaged career highs of 17 ppg and 8 apg. He was a major factor in the Rockets' three-peat, and the last title before Yao Ming retired. After Yao's retirement, his contract expired, and seeing that the Rockets championship window was closing, he signed with the Orlando Magic, and won his second consecutive title with them. He played well with Dwight Howard; they both led the team in scoring at 20 ppg apiece. Brooks played the rest of his career with the Magic, winning one more title there before retiring after the 2021-22 season. He had his jersey number 0 retired at Amway Center, a couple of years after Dwight Howard's number 12 was retired. His career averages consisted of 19.6 ppg, and 7.4 apg with 1.8 spg thrown in.

Championship Count: 6 (Rockets: '10, '11, '12, '14 Magic: '15, '22)


Kevin Martin- Kevin Martin would deliver consistently for the Rockets, barely showing any signs of declining. He would later be known as "Mr. Consistency", he broke Wilt Chamberlain's record of most consecutive 20+ point games, at 135, in the Rockets third year of the three-peat. That streak was passed on from the 2011 playoffs. He won the 2011-12 MVP award. Kevin Martin kept in touch with Yao Ming, Aaron Brooks, Donte Greene and many others including Brad Halstead even after retirement. His son, Kevin Martin III, played point guard in the NBA for 13 seasons, playing a six year tenure with the Rockets. Kevin Martin retired after the 2021-22 season, after a long 17 seasons. "I was beginning to be known as that guy who stands in the corner," Martin said on why he retired. Towards the end of his career, he was depended on mostly his shooting abilities, since he had lost a lot of his speed due to aging. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame a few years after his retirement. He finished amongst the top 50 players in all-time free throw makes, and attempts.

His jersey number 12 was retired at Toyota Center. His career averages were 24.7 ppg, 3.5 apg, and 4.3 rpg.

Championship Count: 6 (Rockets: '10, '11, '12, '14, '18, '23)


Yao Ming - Yao Ming basically had to retire because of the aggravating injuries. He won the Defensive Player of the Year award in his last season. Retiring with four championships, his jersey number 11 was retired at Toyota Center. He and Hakeem Olajuwon began to hold an annual basketball training camp for kids in Houston during the summer, and bit by bit, helped to revive the low post game in basketball. He remained close friends with the three-peat Rockets team. He was named as one of the top 10 international NBA players in history by ESPN. His career averages consisted of 18.7 ppg, 9.6 rpg, and 1.7 bpg.

Championship Count: 4 (Rockets: '10, '11, '12, '14)

[rise]

Once again Axel., a great read.

[Andrew]

Great stuff.

[Houndy]

Great job on this. Donte has 6 rings! 6!

[Stress Fracture]

Why in the world Orlando retired AB's jersey number?

Anyways, good article! It sucks to see some players transfer to other teams, especially Scola returning to San Antonio.

[Murat]

REPEATED? YEAH. CONGRATULATIONS YOU WON!