October 9, 2026
October 9, 2026
2008-2009 Houston Rockets: Showing Potential
Yao Ming, a 7’5″ center from China, had been in the NBA for seven seasons and spent his eighth with a 2008-2009 Houston Rockets team that showed the potential to contend for an NBA championship. The Rockets faced plenty of stiff competition in the Western Conference. In the 2008-2009 regular season, they went 53-29, finishing 2nd in the Southwest Division and 5th in the Western Conference.
Known as “The Great Wall” or “The Dynasty,” Yao Ming had 1,514 total points, 761 rebounds, 137 assists and 150 blocks, averaging 19.7 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game. Power forward Luis Scola had 1,044 total points, 720 rebounds and 123 assists, averaging 12.7 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.
Small forward Ron Artest was acquired from the Sacramento Kings in a trade on August 14, 2008. He had 1,181 total points, 359 rebounds, 229 assists and 105 steals, averaging 17.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Artest also made 153 of 383 three-point shots.
Point guard Aaron Brooks had 894 total points and 238 assists while making 113 of 309 three-point shots. Brooks averaged 11.2 points and 3 assists per game. Point guard Rafer Alston, also known as “Skip to My Lou,” made 80 of 230 three-point shots to go along with 258 assists, averaging 11.5 points, 5.4 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Shooting guard Shane Battier made 91 of 237 three-point shots.
Shooting guard Tracy McGrady appeared in only 35 regular season games because he battled injuries all year. McGrady made 44 of 117 three-point shots to go along with 117 assists. The full statistical breakdown of the 2008-2009 Houston Rockets roster is available at Basketball-Reference.
The most thrilling games of the regular season for the Rockets included a 120-115 overtime win against the Utah Jazz on December 27, 2008, and a 106-101 overtime win against the Detroit Pistons on March 18, 2009. Other close wins came on January 9 against the Oklahoma City Thunder by a score of 98-96 and on March 22 against the San Antonio Spurs by a score of 87-85.
In the first round of the 2009 NBA Playoffs, the Rockets faced the Portland Trail Blazers, and Houston won the series four games to two. Luis Scola averaged 16.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game in the series. Yao Ming averaged 15.8 points, 10.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. Ron Artest averaged 15.7 points, 4.3 assists and 1 steal per game, and Aaron Brooks averaged 15.3 points and 4.3 assists per game.
In Game 1 on April 18 at the Rose Garden in Portland, the Rockets won 108-81. Brooks had 27 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists. Yao had 24 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks. Scola had 19 points and 8 rebounds, and Artest had 17 points and 4 assists. For the Blazers, shooting guard Brandon Roy had 21 points.
Game 2 was a different story, as the Blazers won 107-103 on April 21. Brooks had 23 points and 5 assists for Houston, while guard-forward Von Wafer came off the bench to score 21 points and Artest had 19 points and 5 rebounds. However, Roy exploded for Portland with 42 points and 7 rebounds. Power forward and center LaMarcus Aldridge had 27 points, 12 rebounds and 3 blocks.
Back at the Toyota Center in Houston for Game 3 on April 24, the Rockets narrowly won 86-83. Roy had a respectable 19-point, 7-rebound performance for Portland, while Luis Scola was the workhorse for Houston with 19 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists.
The Rockets then won an 89-88 nail-biter in Game 4 on April 26. Brandon Roy had 31 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks for the Blazers, while LaMarcus Aldridge had 19 points and 10 rebounds. Yao Ming remained strong for the Rockets with 21 points and 12 rebounds.
Back in Portland for Game 5 on April 28, the Blazers won 88-77. Scola had 21 points and 6 rebounds for Houston, while Roy had 25 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists for Portland. Aldridge added 25 points and 7 rebounds.
Returning to Houston for Game 6 on April 30, the Rockets finished off the Blazers with a 92-76 win. Although Roy had 22 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists and Aldridge had 26 points and 5 rebounds, Artest countered with 27 points and Yao countered with 17 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks.
The Houston Rockets then faced the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Semifinals. For the series, Aaron Brooks averaged 18 points and 2.6 assists per game. Ron Artest averaged 15.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4 assists and 1.1 steals per game, and Yao Ming averaged 19.7 points and 11.3 rebounds per game.
In Game 1 on May 4 at the Staples Center, the Rockets won 100-92. Yao had 28 points and 10 rebounds. Artest had 21 points and 7 assists, and Brooks had 19 points. For the Lakers, shooting guard and small forward Kobe Bryant had 32 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Center and power forward Pau Gasol had 13 rebounds and 4 assists.
The Lakers responded in Game 2 on May 6 with a 111-98 victory. Artest had 25 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals for Houston, while Yao had 10 rebounds. Coming off the bench, power forward Carl Landry had 21 points and 10 rebounds. Kobe Bryant was unstoppable for Los Angeles with 40 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists, while Gasol had 22 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocks.
Returning to the Toyota Center for Game 3 on May 8, the Lakers beat the Rockets 108-94. Artest had 25 points and 6 rebounds. Yao had 19 points and 14 rebounds, but this would be the last game he played, as he suffered a devastating foot injury. Bryant had 33 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks for the Lakers. Forward Lamar Odom had 13 rebounds.
The Rockets came back to win Game 4 on May 10 by a score of 99-87. Shane Battier had 23 points and 4 rebounds. Aaron Brooks had 34 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists, and Luis Scola had 14 rebounds. Though Gasol had 30 points and 9 rebounds for Los Angeles, Bryant was held to just 15 points, 5 assists and 4 steals.
Back at the Staples Center for Game 5 on May 12, the Lakers won 118-78. Scola had 13 rebounds and 4 assists for the Rockets, while Bryant had a better performance for the Lakers with 26 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists.
In Game 6 on May 14 at the Toyota Center, the Rockets won 95-80. Brooks had 26 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists, while Scola had 24 points and 12 rebounds. Bryant had 32 points, 3 assists and 3 blocks in a losing effort.
In the deciding Game 7 on May 17 at the Staples Center, the Lakers prevailed with an 89-70 win, ending a promising season for the Rockets. Pau Gasol had 21 points, 18 rebounds and 3 blocks. Although he scored only 14 points, Kobe Bryant had 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks.
The 2008-2009 Houston Rockets season marked the beginning of the end of Yao Ming’s successful NBA career, as injuries continued to plague him. He sat out the entire 2009-2010 regular season and came back to play only five games in the 2010-2011 regular season before officially retiring from basketball. However, Yao Ming left a lasting impression of how effective Chinese basketball players can be on the biggest professional stage.
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