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1983–84 Houston Rockets season
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The 1983–84 Houston Rockets season featured the NBA debut of Ralph Sampson, whom the Rockets had selected as the first pick of the 1983 NBA draft. Under head coach Bill Fitch, the team finished with a 29–53 record, although Sampson won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award.
The team has been cited as an example of a "tanking", by deciding to play more bench players after starting the season with a 20–26 record, in order to fall in the standings and get higher in the draft order for the following season. The Rockets finished last in the Western Conference and later won a coin flip that gave them the first section in the 1984 NBA draft, with which they selected Hakeem Olajuwon.
Draft picks
Main article: 1983 NBA draft
| Houston Rockets}}" width="10%" | Round | Houston Rockets}}" width="10%" | Pick | Houston Rockets}}" width="20%" | Player | Houston Rockets}}" width="15%" | Position | Houston Rockets}}" width="15%" | Nationality | Houston Rockets}}" width="20%" | College/Club team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Ralph Sampson | C/PF | United States | [Virginia](1982-83-virginia-cavaliers-men-s-basketball-team) | ||||||
| 1 | 3 | Rodney McCray | SF | United States | [Louisville](1982-83-louisville-cardinals-men-s-basketball-team) | ||||||
| 3 | 48 | Craig Ehlo | SG | United States | [Washington State](1982-83-washington-state-cougars-men-s-basketball-team) | ||||||
| 4 | 71 | Darrell Browder | United States | TCU | |||||||
| 5 | 94 | Chuck Barnett | United States | [Oklahoma](1982-83-oklahoma-sooners-men-s-basketball-team) | |||||||
| 6 | 117 | Jim Stack | United States | Northwestern | |||||||
| 7 | 140 | Brian Kellerman | United States | [Idaho](1982-83-idaho-vandals-men-s-basketball-team) | |||||||
| 8 | 163 | Jeff Bolding | United States | Arkansas State | |||||||
| 9 | 185 | James Campbell | United States | Oklahoma City |
Roster
- Bill Fitch
Regular season
Season standings
Game log
Regular season
|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 4 | | @ Detroit | W 113–108 | | | | Pontiac Silverdome | 2–2 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 5 | | @ Kansas City | L 106–123 | | | | Kemper Arena | 2–3 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 6 | | Portland | L 104–122 | | | | The Summit | 2–4 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 7 | | Utah | L 109–118 | | | | The Summit | 2–5 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 8 | | Dallas | W 100–98 | | | | The Summit | 3–5 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 9 | | New Jersey | L 86–104 | | | | The Summit | 3–6 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 10 | | @ Denver | L 127–134 | | | | McNichols Sports Arena | 3–7 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 12 | | Phoenix | W 118–96 | | | | The Summit | 5–7 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 13 | | Philadelphia | L 101–115 | | | | The Summit | 5–8 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 14 | | @ Atlanta | L 109–115 | | | | The Omni | 5–9 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 16 | | @ Dallas | L 102–113 | | | | Reunion Arena | 6–10 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 17 | | Seattle | W 125–102 | | | | The Summit | 7–10 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 18 | | @ New York | L 101–117 | | | | Madison Square Garden | 7–11 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 19 | | Washington | L 109–113 | | | | The Summit | 7–12 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 20 | | @ Milwaukee | L 101–103 | | | | MECCA Arena | 7–13 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 22 | | Utah | L 121–128 | | | | The Summit | 8–14 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 23 | | Phoenix | W 129–110 | | | | The Summit | 9–14 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 24 | | @ Utah | L 111–138 | | | | Salt Palace Acord Arena | 9–15 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 27 | | @ Seattle | W 116–112 | | | | Kingdome | 11–16 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 28 | | @ Portland | L 84–97 | | | | Memorial Coliseum | 11–17 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 30 | | Boston | W 107–94 | | | | The Summit | 12–18 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 31 | | @ Phoenix | L 110–121 | | | | Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum | 12–19 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 32 | | Dallas | L 117–119 | | | | The Summit | 12–20 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 33 | | @ Utah (at Las Vegas, Nevada) | L 111–116 | | | | Thomas & Mack Center | 12–21 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 34 | | @ Seattle | W 116–112 | | | | Kingdome | 12–22 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 35 | | @ Los Angeles | W 129–118 | | | | The Forum | 13–22 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 36 | | Los Angeles | L 132–136 (OT) | | | | The Summit | 13–23 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 37 | | Portland | L 117–120 | | | | The Summit | 13–24 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 39 | | Kansas City | W 109–104 | | | | The Summit | 15–24 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 40 | | Denver | W 124–115 | | | | The Summit | 16–24 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 42 | | Utah | W 115–105 | | | | The Summit | 18–24 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 44 | | @ Los Angeles | L 102–131 | | | | The Forum | 18–26 |- align="center" |- style="background:#cfc;" |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 45 | | @ Kansas City | W 122–107 | | | | Kemper Arena | 19–26 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 46 | | Dallas | W 123–107 | | | | The Summit | 20–26 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 47 | | New York | L 95–103 | | | | The Summit | 20–27 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 48 | | @ Washington | L 92–95 | | | | Capital Centre | 20–28 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 49 | | @ Philadelphia | L 107–118 | | | | The Spectrum | 20–29 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 50 | | @ Boston | L 101–114 | | | | Boston Garden | 20–30 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 51 | | @ New Jersey | L 103–107 | | | | Brendan Byrne Arena | 20–31 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 52 | | Detroit | L 119–126 | | | | The Summit | 20–32 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 54 | | Phoenix | L 102–126 | | | | The Summit | 21–33 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 55 | | Milwaukee | W 119–102 | | | | The Summit | 22–33 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 56 | | @ Dallas | L 106–112 | | | | Reunion Arena | 22–34 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 58 | | Seattle | W 111–105 | | | | The Summit | 23–35 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 59 | | Kansas City | L 101–108 | | | | The Summit | 23–36 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 61 | | @ Denver | L 128–130 | | | | McNichols Sports Arena | 24–37 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 62 | | @ Phoenix | L 110–123 | | | | Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum | 24–38 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 67 | | Los Angeles | L 111–123 | | | | The Summit | 26–41 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 68 | | Kansas City | L 102–115 | | | | The Summit | 26–42 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 69 | | @ Denver | L 125–134 | | | | McNichols Sports Arena | 26–43 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 70 | | @ Dallas | L 104–116 | | | | Reunion Arena | 26–44 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 71 | | Atlanta | W 103–102 | | | | The Summit | 27–44 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 72 | | Denver | W 140–137 | | | | The Summit | 28–44 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 73 | | @ Los Angeles | L 109–115 | | | | The Forum | 28–45 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 74 | | Portland | L 102–106 | | | | The Summit | 28–46 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 75 | | @ Utah | L 100–111 | | | | Salt Palace Acord Arena | 28–47 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 77 | | @ Portland | W 129–114 | | | | Memorial Coliseum | 29–48 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 78 | | @ Seattle (at Tacoma, Washington) | L 107–120 | | | | Tacoma Dome | 29–49 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 80 | | Denver | L 110–130 | | | | The Summit | 29–51 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 82 | | @ Kansas City | L 96–108 | | | | Kemper Arena | 29–53
Player statistics
Season
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|
Awards and records
Awards
- Ralph Sampson, NBA Rookie of the Year Award
- Ralph Sampson, All-NBA Second Team
- Ralph Sampson, NBA All-Rookie Team 1st Team
Records
Transactions
Trades
Free agents
Additions
Subtractions
References
References
- (February 6, 2019). "Tanking in professional sports is not a new phenomenon". New York Post.
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