One by one, the NBA franchises unveil their outfits for the coming season, and more particularly their “Classic Edition” jersey. In Houston, it’s Jalen Green who sticks to it, and the back of the Rockets appeared with a white, green and yellow outfit which inevitably recalls the jerseys of the Sonics, or Jazz when he played in New Orleans.
But this is not a tribute to the old Seattle franchise, but to the creation of the Rockets 55 years ago. It was in 1967 on the side of San Diego. We were far from Texas and NASA, and the Rockets had more California colors.
For the record, the first choice of the franchise was none other than Pat Riley! A year later, the franchise will select Elvin Hayes, who will become one of the best centers in history.
It was in 1971 that the Rockets took over the management of Houston, becoming the first Texan franchise in NBA history.
