Rockets Rewind: Otis Thorpe is the most underrated Rocket of all time

Otis Thorpe was a tenacious rebounder, one of the best outlet passers in NBA history, and a true iron man who rarely missed games. Thorpe may not be the first name you think of when you talk about Houston Rocket legends, but he should be mentioned a lot more because without OT, we may still be waiting for the first-ever Rockets championship. That is how important OT was to the title run in 1994 and why he is the first person in my Rockets rewind series.

From Providence to Kansas City

Otis Thorpe was part of one of the best draft classes in NBA history, if not the best. The star-studded draft, of course, gave the Rockets the best player in the franchise's history and future teammate of Thorpe, Hakeem Olajuwon, known as Akeem at the time. It also included Charles Barkley, John Stockton, and some player named Michael Jordan.

Even in this stacked draft, Thorpe would go number nine overall to the then Kansas City Kings after making First Team All-Big East in his senior year and averaging 14.4 points and 8 rebounds.

You did hear that right: the Kansas City Kings, now the Sacramento Kings, played in Kansas City for 13 years and started as the Cincinnati Royals. Thorpe would only play one season in Kansas City before leaving with the Kings, and then they headed to Sacramento, where they still play.

Thorpe averaged 12.8 points and 6.8 rebounds in his rookie season and played all 82 games, a theme throughout his career. He played one season in Kansas City and three more in Sacramento. After the 1987-88 season, Thorpe was traded to the Houston Rockets for Rodney McCray and Jim Petersen in a move that would change not only his career but also the trajectory of the Houston Rockets franchise.

Otis Thorpe traded to the Rockets

During Thorpe’s first few seasons, the Rockets struggled to make any noise, just like they had since making the NBA Finals in 86, where they lost to the Boston Celtics in six games. Even though the Rockets seemed stuck in place from ‘87 to ‘92, the trade for Thorpe did start to bear fruit. In the 1991-92 season, Thorpe had his best season up to that point as he became an All-Star for the first time. There was also another significant event right around the corner for the Rockets.

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Don Chaney had been the Rockets head coach since Thorpe was traded to Houston and even won Coach of the Year in 1991. That, however, was not enough for Rockets management, as Chaney was fired in February of the following year after the Rockets blew a 24-point lead at home to the (at the time) lowly Minnesota Timberwolves. Rockets lifer and, at the time, assistant coach Rudy Tomjonavich would take over with the team stuck in the mud at 26-26.

It didn't start great, though, as the Rockets were on the brink of a complete overhaul as their franchise player, Hakeem Olajuwon, was suspended by the team in March of 1992 after the team alleged Olajuwon was faking an injury because he was not happy with the way his contract situation was being handled. This must be an entire episode on its own, but to sum it up and get back to today's topic, Olajuwon wanted out, and the Rockets were as close as you can get to sending him out of town.

Luckily, as we all know, that didn't happen, and Olajuwon, Thorpe, and the rest of the Rockets were on the doorstep of Houston and NBA history. For the 1993-94 season, the Rockets served notice early that they were not only a good team but championship contenders. With Michael Jordan's first retirement, the league was wide open. Thorpe continued to do what he had done his entire career — dominating in the paint with his rebounding and overall toughness — which would play out for everyone to see several months later.

For the 1993-94 season, Thorpe averaged 14 points and a career-high 10.6 rebounds and played in all 82 games. The Rockets finished with the second-best record in the league, and Thorpe was a massive reason for that.

Otis Thorpe's toughness in the Finals made all the difference

The road to the NBA Finals was not easy. The Rockets were on the ropes several times in the playoffs, especially in the second round against the Phoenix Suns. If not for a Vernon Maxwell masterclass in Game 3, scoring 31 points in the second half, the Rockets avoided going down 0-3 after blowing leads in Games 1 and 2 at home.

As the Rockets prepared for the New York Knicks, much of the talk was about how tough the Knicks were after their battles against teams like the Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers. Most people did not think the Rockets could compete with the Knicks physicality. This is where Thorpe showed how valuable he was to Houston.

During the NBA Finals, Thorpe battled players like Charles Oakley and Anthony Mason while Olajuwon and Patrick Ewing closed at center. Thorpe averaged 9.3 points and 11.3 rebounds, his best average for any series that year, and played almost 40 minutes a game when the NBA allowed a lot more physical play, especially in the paint.

Of course, the Rockets would go on to win their first championship. The Rockets won Game 7 at home 90-84, delivering the city of Houston its first-ever sports championship.

From championship in Houston to Portland and beyond

Unfortunately for Thorpe, the glow of the championship didn't last long. The following season, the Rockets struggled after starting the season on a nine-game winning streak, as it seemed they were stuck in the mud for most of the first half of the 1994-95 season. The Rockets front office was not happy (even with a 29-17 record) and felt the only way the Rockets would defend their title was by making a significant change, and on February 14, 1995, that's precisely what they did.

The Rockets traded Otis Thorpe for Clyde Drexler and Tracey Murray. Drexler had demanded a trade from the Trail Blazers earlier in the season, becoming frustrated with the team's new direction. At the time, most of the remaining Houston Rockets were not happy with this move as they felt breaking up a championship team and bringing in Drexler was a mistake.

Of course, we know now that despite being an unpopular move, it was the right move. Drexler showed why he was still a top-30 player in the league as he and his former Houston Cougar teammate Olajuwon led the Rockets to their second straight NBA title. Still, the Rockets would have never gotten a player like Drexler if it wasn't for Thorpe having the reputation he had around the league.

Thorpe's career winds down

After being traded from the Rockets, Thorpe would play for seven different teams, finishing his career with the Charlotte Hornets in 2001. Thorpe finished his career with 17,600 points and 10,370 rebounds.

Otis Thorpe’s legacy

Thorpe finished top five in Rockets history in field goal percentage and at one time held the record for most consecutive games played at 542 (a record AC Green would go on later to break) and played in all 82 games nine times in his career and 34th all-time in games played. Thorpe will never be a household name or show up in a lot of highlights from the '80s or '90s, but he is without a doubt a Rockets legend, and all Rockets fans should say thank you to OT because, without him, there wouldn't be a 1994 championship banner hanging in the Toyota center.