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The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team has a rich history, with two NBA championship wins and four Western Conference titles. The Houston Cougars, on the other hand, have had their fair share of ups and downs. Under the leadership of Guy Lewis in the 1950s, the Cougars enjoyed 27 consecutive winning seasons and advanced to the NCAA Championship Game in 1983 and 1984. However, in the late 1990s, the Cougars suffered a disappointing streak, recording a low number of conference victories. More recently, in 2025, the Cougars faced a heartbreaking loss, squandering a 12-point lead and ending with consecutive turnovers, leaving fans and players alike devastated.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Team name | Houston Cougars |
| Coach | Kelvin Sampson |
| Star guard | Emanuel Sharp |
| Previous coaches | Alvin Brooks, Guy Lewis |
| Players | Elvin Hayes, Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, Otis Birdsong, Dwight Jones, Dwight Davis, Don Chaney, Louis "Sweet Lou" Dunbar |
| Achievements | 27 straight winning seasons, 14 seasons with 20+ wins, 14 trips to the NCAA tournament, 5 Final Four appearances, 2 NCAA Championship Game appearances |
| Losses | 1983 NCAA Final, 1984 NCAA Final |
| Team conference | Conference USA |
| Basketball team location | Houston, Texas |
| Basketball team | Houston Rockets |
| Achievements | 2 NBA championships, 4 Western Conference titles |
| Previous locations | San Diego |
| Previous names | San Diego Rockets |
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What You'll Learn
Houston Cougars' disappointing 1996-98 seasons
The Houston Cougars men's basketball team has had a long and varied history, with many successful seasons and appearances in the NCAA tournament. However, the 1996-98 period was a low point for the team.
Following coach Pat Foster's resignation in 1993, the Cougars entered a downward spiral, finding themselves in the ""dark depths of the basement" in 1994, according to one source. In 1996, they joined Conference USA, but this did not improve their performance. The team continued to struggle, and by 1998, they were looking for a new head coach. They turned to Clyde Drexler, a former player and a "Phi Slama Jama alum". Unfortunately, the 1998-99 season was a "complete disaster".
The Cougars had a disappointing end to the 2024-25 season, losing the national championship game. The team had a strong season, with a record of only one loss since the end of November. However, their season ended with a devastating loss, seeing their 12-point second-half lead evaporate. The loss hit the tight-knit team hard, with players taking the blame and dealing with the emotions of the defeat.
The Cougars have had notable successes in the past, with 26 NCAA tournament appearances and 22 conference championships. Under the leadership of Guy Lewis, who played for and coached the Cougars, they achieved 27 straight winning seasons, 14 seasons with 20 or more wins, and 14 trips to the NCAA tournament. They made the Final Four five times and advanced to the NCAA Championship Game twice (1983 and 1984). The 1968 team, led by Elvin Hayes, played a historic game against the UCLA Bruins, known as the "Game of the Century," which helped popularize college basketball.
Despite their recent disappointment, the Cougars have a strong culture and a family mentality. They have a history of resilience and a focus on continuity and the future.
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Cougars' 1968 Game of the Century
The 1968 "Game of the Century" was a historic National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) game between the Houston Cougars and the UCLA Bruins. It was played on January 20, 1968, at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas, and was the first NCAA regular-season game broadcast nationwide in prime time.
The game lived up to its billing as the "Game of the Century," with a tense and thrilling matchup. The first half ended with the Cougars up by three points. The second half saw the tension rise, with the matchup between Houston's Elvin Hayes and UCLA's Alcindor taking centre stage. Despite a height disadvantage, Hayes blocked three of Alcindor's shots, electrifying the crowd who chanted his nickname, "Big E." With two minutes remaining, the game was tied at 69. Hayes was fouled and, playing with four fouls himself, scored two free throws to give the Cougars a 71–69 victory and end UCLA's winning streak.
The game established college basketball as a sports commodity on television and paved the way for the modern "March Madness" television coverage. It drew a vast television audience, in addition to the 52,693 fans who filled the Astrodome, setting a record for attendance at a basketball game at that time.
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Phi Slama Jama's 1983 NCAA Final loss
The 1982-83 Houston Cougars, nicknamed Phi Slama Jama, lost the NCAA men's title game to North Carolina State in the final moments. The Cougars' loss is considered one of the biggest upsets in college basketball history.
The Cougars were led by future Hall of Famers Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler and were known for their slam dunking and explosive, fast-breaking style of play. They had advanced to the NCAA Final Four each year from 1982 to 1984 and their 1983 semi-final against Louisville's "Doctors of Dunk" is recognised as one of the 100 greatest basketball moments of the 20th century.
The Cougars played an iconic game against Louisville in the Final Four, winning 94-81 in a game that was played above the rim. They had 14 dunks in the game, including six in a row at one point, showcasing their athletic and freewheeling style of play. Olajuwon was a standout, scoring 21 points, grabbing 22 rebounds, and rejecting eight Cardinals shots.
However, in the title game against North Carolina State, the Cougars suffered a last-second loss, with NC State's Lorenzo Charles slamming home the winning points. The Cougars' poor free-throw shooting has been cited as a potential reason for their defeat. The loss remains a heartbreaking moment for the team and fans, with some players finding it difficult to watch or revisit the game.
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Cougars' 1984 NCAA Final loss
The Houston Cougars men's basketball team has a rich history, with 26 NCAA tournament appearances and 22 conference championships. The Cougars have made it to the Final Four seven times but have yet to bring home a national championship.
One of their most notable appearances was in the 1984 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship game. The Cougars, led by coach Guy Lewis, had advanced to the Final Four in the previous two years and were seeking their first national title. This time, they faced the Georgetown Hoyas, who were led by players such as Patrick Ewing, Reggie Williams, and Michael Graham.
The game was a hard-fought battle, with the Cougars putting up a strong performance. Despite their efforts, the Cougars were unable to overcome the Hoyas, and they ultimately lost the game with a final score of 84-75. This loss marked the third time that the Cougars had advanced to the Final Four, only to fall short of the national championship.
The 1984 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship game was played on April 2, 1984, at the Kingdome in Seattle, Washington. The Cougars entered the game as the Midwest Regional Champion and the #2 seed, while their opponents, the Georgetown Hoyas, were the West Regional Champion and the #1 seed.
The Hoyas put on a defensive performance that is still considered one of the best in college basketball history. The Cougars struggled to score, and despite their efforts, they were unable to close the gap. The Hoyas' victory sent them to the national final for the third time in their school's history.
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Houston Rockets' 2019-20 season
The 2019-2020 Houston Rockets season was a memorable one for the franchise and its fans. The Rockets, led by head coach Mike D'Antoni, finished the regular season with a 44-28 record, securing the 4th seed in the Western Conference.
The season, however, was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with league officials suspending the season on March 11 after Rudy Gobert tested positive. The Rockets themselves were impacted, with Westbrook also contracting the virus and the team filing a lawsuit to recover COVID-19-related losses.
Despite these challenges, the Rockets still managed to find success on the court. In the playoffs, they defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder, the former team of Westbrook and Harden, in a thrilling Game 7 of the first round. Unfortunately, their journey ended in the Western Conference semifinals, where they lost in five games to the eventual champions, the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Rockets' 2019-2020 season was also notable for their offensive prowess, averaging 117.8 points per game, 2nd best in the league. Their defence, however, allowed 114.8 points per game, a statistic that placed them 23rd in the league. Overall, the Rockets' net rating of +2.8 placed them 8th in the league, indicating a positive balance between their offensive and defensive performances.
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Frequently asked questions
The Houston Cougars are a successful college basketball team. They have had some disappointing seasons, such as in 1996 when they joined Conference USA and had a poor record against C-USA teams. However, they have also had many successes, such as winning the Gulf Coast Conference championship in 1950 and making the Final Four on five occasions.
The Houston Rockets are a professional basketball team that compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA). They have had both successful and unsuccessful seasons. They won two NBA championships and four Western Conference titles. However, they also had a poor debut season in 1967, winning only 15 games.
Houston suffered a devastating loss in the 2025 NCAA tournament, squandering a 12-point lead in the second half and ending the national title game with four consecutive turnovers, losing 65-63 to Florida.
