The San Diego Rockets came into existence in 1967 as the 12th NBA member. The name, selected from more than 10,000 entries in a contest, still fit nicely when the franchise moved to Houston (home of Johnson Space Center) before the 1971-72 season. Houston was the only Western Conference team besides the Lakers to reach the NBA Finals in the 1980s. DID YOU KNOW? Six former Rockets players - John Lucas, Rick Adelman, Mike Dunleavy, Matt Guokas, Pat Riley and current Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich - are currently serving as head coaches in the NBA. The Rockets have led the NBA in scoring (1972-73), rebounds (1969-70) and assists (1975-76). SCORECARD. With a 131-125 triumph over the Denver Nuggets at The Summit on April 21, 1991, the Rockets established a franchise record with 52 victories.