Houston Rockets | ABA vs NBA I Rockets vs Celtics I 70's & Early 80's - HOHB Part 2 - Moses

The Rockets return to the playoffs in 1975 after the first few seasons in the city of Houston are filled with ups and downs. The team are led by the high scoring duo of Rudy Tomjanovich and Calvin Murphy and coached by former player Johnny Egan until he is released and Ray Patterson hires Tom Nissalke. Meanwhile in Virginia, Moses Malone leaves high school and turns professional immediately, joining the Utah Stars in the struggling ABA.

The NBA expands in the late seventies, offering spots to four ABA teams. Moses Malone lands in Houston with his former coach, Tom Nissalke, after Portland and Buffalo can't find a role for him on their roster. With the new additions the team would establish themselves as a more competitive team in the league and continued to steadily improve throughout the decade, getting ever closer to the ultimate goal of an NBA Championship.

The Houston Rockets begin the 80-81 season under Del Harris and somehow manage to make the playoffs with a 40-42 record. How far can Moses Malone take the Houston Rockets into the 1981 postseason? The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers are beginning to establish themselves as the dominant teams of each conference with the arrival of rookies Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. The relative obscurity and competitive parity of the 1970's is in the past as a new, superstar-driven era of the National Basketball Association emerges.

The Houston Rockets make their first appearance on basketballs biggest stage as they do battle with Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics in the 1981 NBA Finals. Moses Malone also goes on to secure his second Most Valuable Player award, establishing himself as the leagues most dominant player. As Moses contract comes up for renewal, teams around the league keep a close eye on the situation in the summer of 1982 after Houston fail to extend their franchise player during the season.