Houston's only two championships, in 1994 and 1995, came from building around a dominant center and then adding a second star. The Durant-Sengun pairing follows that same shape, with last season's near-upset of the Lakers as its biggest test so far.
1986
Hakeem Olajuwon, the first overall pick in 1984, reached the Finals alongside 7-foot-4 Ralph Sampson as the "Twin Towers," losing to Boston. Two big men were not enough. The lesson carried forward: Houston's eventual titles needed a second star, not a second center, next to its franchise anchor.
1994-95
Olajuwon alone led a then-record 58 wins and the franchise's first title, beating New York in 1994. Adding Clyde Drexler the following year brought a second championship, a four-game sweep of Orlando. Charles Barkley joined in 1996, but that core never got past the West finals and was gone by 2001.
2012-2020
James Harden's nine-year run, built on Daryl Morey's analytics approach, produced two trips to the West finals, both lost to Golden State. When D'Antoni and Morey left before 2020-21, Harden requested a trade to Brooklyn, closing that era without a third banner.
July 6, 2025
Houston sent Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks to Phoenix in a seven-team trade for Kevin Durant, who averaged 26.0 points and 4.8 assists across 78 games. Pairing him with Alperen Sengun is this era's version of adding the second star the Twin Towers lacked.
Last season
The Rockets went 52-30 with a net rating of 5.4, sixth in the league. On April 29, 2026, they became just the sixth team in NBA history to force a Game 6 after trailing the Lakers 3-0, winning both comeback games without Durant on the floor, then lost Game 6 anyway.
Have the Rockets ever won an NBA championship?
Yes, back-to-back titles in 1994 and 1995, the only two championships in franchise history.
Why did the Rockets trade for Kevin Durant?
On July 6, 2025, Houston sent Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks to Phoenix in a seven-team deal to pair Durant with Alperen Sengun, aiming to win now rather than keep developing around Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard alone.
