Bleav Hosts Robert Land & Stephen Kerr celebrate Rockets legend Rudy Tomjanovic & his amazing career & life on the Rockets 1st Championship’s 30th anniversary. You’ll hear from his teammate & roommate HOF Calvin Murphy, his ’81 Finals teammate Robert Reid, Houston sports radio’s Barry Warner, Rudy’s biographer & Rockets beat writer from ’80 to ’95 Robert Falkoff, Clutch City legend Chucky Brown, Rockets fan favorite Moochie Norris, Chronicle Reporter Dale Robertson & we close with features from KTXH Ch. 20 Rockets Telecasts with Rudy at his ice cream shop & then he conducts an imaginary symphony.
(1:55) Kermit Washington Punches Rudy T nearly killing him
(4:15) Rudy Takes Rockets from Bottom to the Top
(5:44) Rudy’s Life is a Movie
(9:10) How Choke City became Clutch City
(15:36) Calvin Murphy talks Rudy
(18:36) Robert Reid
(19:34) Houston sports radio legend Barry Warner
(21:31) Rockets beat writer (’80 -’95) & Rudy Biographer Robert Falkoff
(27:54) Clutch City legend Chucky Brown
(29:15) Rockets fan favorite Moochie Norris
(29:36) Chronicle Reporter Dale Robertson
(30:28) Rudy at his ice cream shop Stucci’s
(35:12) Rudy Conducts Symphony
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[Music] welcome to Houston sports talk with your host Robert land thanks for checking into the best Houston sports podcast part of the believe Network and joining me for a special tribute to Rockets Legend Rudy T is my co-host Steven Kerr 65 plus years of sports journalism between the two of us later in the show you’re going to hear from Rudy’s old roommate the Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy and a few other Rockets from Rudy’s era with his biographer I’ve also got a couple surprise nuggets at the end but let’s start off Stephen by reminding everybody it’s the 30th anniversary of the original Rockets Championship run this year and if you wrote a movie about Rudy’s life would anybody believe it happened what a life yeah what a life I mean you talk about and we’re talking about the good and the bad as far as that goes Robert I mean what a career that this guy had and then you know when he went through the the whole ordeal with Kermit Washington he wondered if he’d ever come back and he did and then he coaches leads the team to a championship and even phrased one of the most famous lines I think you’ve ever heard in sports but not to mention anywhere else is never underestimate the heart of a champion well listen Rudy is as much a champion as anybody not just because he won a championship with the Rockets but just because of the person he is so that could apply to Rudy t as much as the rockets and and anyone else yeah I’m goingon to dive into some of the different things that you just brought up but let’s remind everybody to start with he was the second overall picked by the San Diego Rockets in 1970 a year later the team moves to Houston with Elvin Hayes Calvin Murphy and McCoy McLemore who you old timers will remember as a Rockets TV analyst with Bill Rell in the 80s brudy was a five-time All-Star helped the team to the 81 finals in 77 he was punched during a Lakers game by Kermit Washington suffered a broken jaw fractured skull brain hemorrhage and leaking spinal fluid Stephen it was the worst in-game incident until the malice in the palace about 30 years later I’d say it changed the game in many ways and the way the NBA reacted to fights is what I mean mostly well you’re right and you know Rudy almost died from that I mean all the things you describe that shouldn’t be a surprise but he he nearly died from that incident Robert just the fact that he was able to come out of it and even play basketball again I mean at the time you know that was the last thing you were concerned about you were concerned about his health I just I mean I remember you know the Fallout from that whole situation I don’t remember the exact number of what you know Kermit Washington was finded but I I do remember reacting that I felt like it wasn’t nearly enough but you’re right as time went on I think people began to see just how serious that was and it did change the game to some extent I mean you still had you know the some of the bruisers and kind type of play in the 80s and part of the 90s but that incident you know as you said 30 years later the malice in the palace I mean thankfully those incidents haven’t happened as much as they probably could you know considering some of the players we’ve seen in the league over the last few decades yes and and Kermit Washington speaking to what you were talking about with him he was suspended for two months the Rockets weren’t happy about it I forget the find but the other part about when I was doing a little research is that Rudy actually sued him and won that lawsuit yes which was worth a bunch more money than the fine ever was so that was a little bit of the come upet the other thing is Kermit really came off badly because you know Rudy tried to talk to him after the game and and there was you know he didn’t react well to it even after it after all the stuff that he had done to the guy he still didn’t react well and the Lakers didn’t back him up the NBA a lot of the other teams just he was a personid non gr I mean that guy sort of his career changed at that moment just like Rudy’s career changed and also he had nightmares and other trauma related to it you know besides that Rudy I think it led to some other issues that Rudy had in his personal life as well but you’re going to hear from Houston radio Legend Barry Warner later on on Rudy’s recovery from that punch also Stephen Rudy’s story is so amazing because not only does he come here with the franchise to Houston not only does he come back from a nearly career- ending punch to the face but he’s an Allstar who then goes on to lead the franchise to its first Finals then goes from player to assistant coach along with being a scout to clutch City head coach staying with the franchise for 33 years it he took the Rockets from the bottom from the beginning to the top man you talk about a team lifer I mean he did it all and I remember when he first got into coaching if I’m not mistaken they had him you know breaking down film he was he spent a lot of time in the film room breaking down film and yeah he did some scouting along with that I mean you talking about starting from the ground up and and I was fortunate enough Robert that the first time I ever watched the Rockets was in 1972 and that’s when I started following them so I was fortunate enough to watch Rudy through most of his career I miss the first couple years I was pretty little even in 1972 not gonna date myself here I guess but I got to see Rudy through most of his career only missing a couple years and I would say that he and Calvin Murphy immediately caught my attention and became probably my two most favorite Rockets players ever and I’m talking about even today and you know obviously the Rockets have had a number of great players since then but two guys just with the the magnetism they have their personalities obviously as well as their talent on the court couldn’t help but love both of them absolutely and you’re GNA hear about that just shortly with Calvin them being roommates and and and that that story but going back to his life as a movie he’s kind of this Jimmy Stewart likee figure from smalltown Hamtramck Michigan which you know kind of fits the whole you know Rudy T thing even though he’s six foot eight he’s got this Everyman quality I can’t quite put my finger on it but Rudy has an Everyman quality he’s dealt with the punch and alcoholism and cancer you know like so many of us he’s dealt with life’s ups and downs and so I think we all connect with him in that way but Stephen the movie opens with Rudy carving I love basketball on his childhood headboard and touching that carving as he falls asleep at night dreaming of playing in the NBA he talked about it in his Hall of Fame speech and every iconic movie has a line or two you’re never going to forget yet and you referenced it earlier is there a more repeated or memorable line in Houston sports history than don’t ever underestimate the heart of a champion Stephen could anybody going back to the every man could anybody have managed to deliver it deliver that line with less bravado and just more Pride than Rudy no I don’t think so and I bet it was also one of those things that he didn’t plan to say it you know some of the best lines that anyone ever says you know whether it’s in a movie or you know a sports caster calling a great moment is that you don’t plan it it just comes to you and it came to Rudy at the exact right time and he said it and and it’s interesting you brought that up Robert it’s not only what he said it’s how he said it and you know he didn’t scream it and yell it you know he didn’t do the bum Phillips we’re gonna kick down the door we’re gonna kick theb and he just said it as matter of factly as if he truly believed it which he obviously did and still still does absolutely and you know he she said for it it prefaces it with for all you non-believers out there and they had plenty yeah had plenty and a lot of the you know I told you so and the remember Michael Jordan his speech in the Hall of Fame and it was all about look you you didn’t believe me and you didn’t believe but it to me it wasn’t about the negativity of people not believing the way he delivered the line it was more like hey there we had a lot lot of non-believers and for all you non-believers and then this big smile came over his face because of course we know the ending and and he know and he knew the ending is because he was getting the trophy but it was that it was the it was the positivity of the line it wasn’t delivered with this you know anger and whatever and I think that’s what made Rudy so special well it is and not just in that moment but just thinking about the way he came back from the punch and you know obviously he he dealt with anger and he dealt with the resentment of the the type recovery he had but you know he he kind of came out of that too and even you know years later as you said you know he tried to make amends with Kermit Washington I think eventually at some point down the road they did kind of sort of you know as much as I guess one can in that situation but the positivity that Rudy showed it it’s the and the perseverance that he did not just with that but with all the other things you talked about Robert we’re all going to go through hardships you know we’re all going to go through a tragedy of some kind we’re going to go through any of life’s hurdles but it’s how you persevere and Rudy persevered in a way where obviously he had to keep that positivity going else how how else would he be able to do it it was 30 years ago this week the Nuggets upset Seattle and that very important first round of the playoffs setting up the Rockets first championship run because you Rockets fans from back then will know but if you were not a fan at that time and you weren’t born and you’re a new rockets fan Seattle was the Rockets crypto tonight oh so like Seattle losing was a huge deal in that run and we’re recording this may the 8th May the e8th the date the Rockets started the series with the Phoenix Suns which was the impetus for clutch City it’s how it became a deal how was this the impetus well in game one they blew an 18-point lead in game two a 20 point fourth quarter lead which leads to the Chronicles choke City headline but by the end of the playoffs choke City becomes clutch City and Stephen it it’s the best really moniker of any moniker that we’ve had in Houston history including as much as I love love you Blue including love you Blue yeah it’s right up there with love you Blue I mean I I they’re neck and neck as far as I’m concerned and yeah they got down three games to one in that Series right I believe that that was the series where Charles Barkley guaranteed Phoenix would win the series and obviously we saw what happened and so you know sometimes you don’t really know what you’re made of until your back is against the wall the Rockets backs were definitely against the wall that year that’s what makes that first championship so special not only because it was the first championship but the way they had to go out and earn it and even in the finals you know they they didn’t sweep the Knicks in four games like they did The Following season when they won their second title and they swept the Orlando Magic I mean they had to go seven games to beat the Knicks they they earned every bit of that championship and Rudy was a big part of it and I tell you what you know he may not have won a championship as a player but I was so glad that at least he was able to do it as a coach yeah my memory is you know not the best it’s kind of Swiss cheese at this point your memory probably the same I I want to say that they were down 3-1 in that second year against Phoenix and that was it might be I was trying to remember that yeah you could be right it might have been that second year but I I want to say they came back and they won two games at at Phoenix to tie the series and and you know but it doesn’t matter Inc incredible comeback in that series and you know you just you just don’t see teams losing their first two at home and then winning NBA playoff series too often and you know Stephen I I just you know when I think back at that first run the Rockets made to the championship and you know it’s the second run I think that we have all the really iconic stuff you have AEM versus David Robinson you know you’ve got the kiss of death all of that sort of stuff the first run though when I think of Rudy I think of them beating the the Knicks and of course one of the key moments was that block shot by John Starks yes that that AEM made and I just Rudy jumping up and down after the the block of this I don’t think the image I have of his him jumping up and down in game seven but it was really after that blocked shot and beating that Nicks in that key game but there’s all of these just iconic images that you have of Rudy and that’s the other part about him is just he was an interesting guy to watch on the sidelines he was a fun guy to watch on the sidelines but you know we we talk about him personally he’s just a great guy Stephen there’s nobody that says a bad word about him no certainly not and you know one thing that I always thought was interesting is the fact that you know ke and Calvin Murphy two totally different personalities yet they were roommates and I mean I know that some of the stories he’s going to tell so but it’s just amazing to me how two personalities like that fit so well together I mean those two were like brothers they really were yeah Rudy calls him his brother Calvin does the same um y you know to close out the show you know I talked about you know the Rudy uh personality you’re going to see a couple Rudy T features that I shot and produced for the Rockets telecast from the early 2000s one of them was called Maestro Rudy which is one that I put together of all Rudy’s coaching hand gestures and body language to operatic music the other feature is Rockets reporter and broadcaster Jeff Hagadorn visiting Rudy’s ice cream shop stoies and Stephen that’s when I get my got my best chance to really know Rudy the guy just a little bit anyway and when you watch the feature you’re going to see Rudy was up for all the dumb stuff we threw against the wall to try and make it funny and stuff that we had Ry do it and as you watch it imagine how many head coaches would have done what we had him do not Bill o’ Brian not kak not udoka forget about it no definitely not udoka you know belich any of those guys but yeah you know Rudy was just so different you know the players loved playing for him and all the reasons that we just listed and i’ forgotten about the ice cream thing Robert so you just now remind me of it yeah that stoi feature was played on the big screen at the Rockets game Stephen and I watched Rudy watch it you know on the big screen and laugh and he told me after it ran I’m out there on the court if I remember this whole scene and he said that I had done a good job with it which is right up there as one of my favorite moments of my career oh you no better person could pay you a compliment than Rudy tomjanovich I’m I’m glad we’re doing this tribute Robert because it’s so neat to look back and just of all the memories you know and not all of them were good obviously we we’ talked about that but just you know with a player like Rudy they’re just they don’t come along but once every few decades maybe Houston was just fortunate enough to have a guy like that and he’s you know he’s still around thank goodness yeah thank goodness and I just got tears before we did this show because I rewatched his Hall of Fame speech which is just magical go go on YouTube and go find it because it’s great to rewatch let’s hear from those that know Rudy T much better than I do or Stephen does from but guys that we talk to from our Decades of talking to sports figures on Houston sports stock and if you’re listening to our audio feed here’s the order we’re going to start off with Calvin Murphy Rudy’s 81 finals teammate Robert Reid Houston sports radio’s Barry Warner Rudy’s biographer and Rockets beat writer from 80 to 95 Robert falkov clutch City Legend Chucky Brown Rockets fan favorite MCI Norris Chronicle reporter Dale Robertson and of course we’re going to close it out with Rudy at the ice cream shop and Rudy conducting an imaginary Symphony let’s start with Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy I never get tired of hearing stories about you and Rudy as roommates can you give me one of the PG stories you got one something that we say for kids let me think that that’s a tough one you know Rudy Tom jovic and I of course were very very very close We R together for 10 years we lived next door to each other for 18 years uh my my uh daughter is his God child and his daughter is my gu so we were very very close but we were two complete opposites you know they say opposite tracks that’s what it was with Rudy T and and myself you know Rudy T was a horrible horrible person to get up out of bed in the morning and I think they put me together with him just so I could be his caddy so you know I would have to cuss him and push him and pry him to get him up in the morning well this one particular time I just was in the mood we were playing in Atlanta we had a day off before we played in in the garden so I tried to get ready get ready up because we were going to go to New York that early that day and Rudy called me some unbelievable name so I took the hell of him I let him go to sleep so we landed in New York he was still in Atlanta sleeping and I called him from New York and I said Ry you better get up he said oh I’m right down in the lobby I said take your time we’re in New York well let me ask you about Rudy as the player because I think a lot of people forget how good a player he was absolutely was he the best small forward in Rockets history oh yes that’s that that’s that’s a good question uh you know he played played the big forward for us uh during my time he wasn’t a small forward I was a hell of a hell of a rebounder and was a pure shooter yeah and and I took my time when I said that because I don’t think people understand what when I say pure shooter uh means you know you got a lot of people that can score and you got a lot of people that can get hot but Rudy T was one of those that every night his shot was on you know they talk about they talk about obviously when you talk about Shooters you’re talking Curry and and and Harden well that’s fine you can’t touch him you know when we played and and and and shot 50% we had to beat people off of us to get our shot well you can’t do that today so when I compare Rudy to the players today not even close you know anytime I needed me an assist uh I find Rudy T and uh off we go you know seven time Allstar uh he was our captain uh he did it all obviously and and and and we got to talk about this uh his his in his perception by people changed when he had that Misfortune to get hit by kerit Washington and everybody thought that is what killed his career and that’s not true because actually when he came back from that situation he rebounded and shot better than he did before it but he he I guess he played one more year decided that that was enough but uh hell of a teammate uh hell of a friend uh the whole nine yards you know Rudy was one of those kind of individuals that if you didn’t want the answer to a question don’t ask him because he’s not gonna lie he’s not gonna lie to you you’re saying he was a big forward then would would he be a stretch for you think today or where would they put without a doubt without a doubt uh the greatest thing that can happen to any team today is they have Rudy t on the floor being a pure and the fact that he can take you out 20 ft with that straight on Bank shots and set the world on fire absolutely he’ be a stretch forward Mike Nan and Rudy T being a small forward they really K me underne their wings Rudy was one he would not let me take that time off he said hey even Mike new dur in practice he said all he said hey what are you doing you’re not bringing it you’re not bringing it and and so Rudy you can see that coaching style that he was going to have in him and the unfortunate part is we won four I say five games in a row to the unfortunate incident that happened in La that incident happened with Rudy sing for me he s for me and 30 seconds later you know it happened yeah you’re talking about the Kermit Washington injury where he was punched right yes yes yes and you know it was like I said he just the buzz rang and it looked me Bobby I got you I said okay you got Jamal Wilson I was walking to the the action was going away from us and I saw the whole thing happened so we had had something get ready to happen you can sense it and to that unfortunate incident you start up a friendship with Rudy and the story that just uh really amazed me was Rudy gets hit in the famous Kermit Washington punch and everybody remembers that but you were there sort of helping Rudy get back on his horse a little bit after the punch right right so after uh he was operated on Rudy calls me one day and he goes meet me at Memorial Park in an hour I said great so we go to Memorial Park and we start fast walking we do that three times you know during the course of the week then the next week he said let’s do a light job so we did a light job was supposed to been a mile and a half instead of the 3.1 that was on the circuit so we did that for another week and then the following week week number three he said bring your tennis racket in a couple of cans of balls we’re going to hit so I du to F get the my tennis racket and the balls and we go Memorial Park and we start hitting Monday Wednesday and then Friday in the middle of the set Rudy who was at the back line hits me a shot to the opposite Court well I race over there pick my racket up and and I treated it almost like a racket ball shot I just lunged out and hit towards the middle of the net well in two steps Rudy went from the backline just to the net and I hit him and the ball just grazed his his face and I got dropped my record oh Rudy I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry and he goes I don’t want your sympathy you blankety blank blank blank blank get your bald ass back there it’s your serve when that happened I knew unequivocably Rudy was back I called his wife wife Sophie when I got home the rest was history he became the first man in the NBA The Following season ever to wear a mask then goes on to fulfill his playing career making the All-Star team twice after that and then quitting and going into Co scouting and then coaching I want to take you back to maybe the key moment for the rockets and for Rudy T you write about it extensively in Rudy’s bio it changed the course of history the Rockets brass decide it’s time to let go of coach John Cheney in 1992 and there’s a meeting that day between longtime assistants Carol Dawson and Rudy with GM Steve Patterson in the book you take us right into the meeting can can you tell us a little bit about that it was a mid-season game the Rockets had uh had lost a big big lead to the Timberwolves and the team was kind of slipping and fiding uh all year I guess the next morning at 8:30 in the morning Steve Patterson had gotten a call from the owner at the time Charlie Thomas and Charlie just said I want to make a move uh we’re going to change coaches uh they had a meeting they called in the two assistants Rudy T and and Carol Dawson Rudy told me this uh later that you know they had some small top and they talked about the game the previous night and finally Steve just said hey guys uh this is over Don is out and we’ve got to have a head coach we’ve got to go forward Ry and Carol were very loyal to Don Cheney and Ry you know they tried to argue for Don and it just wasn’t going to work and you know I can remember that you know the quote uh Steve Patterson that this the Spurs had just changed coaches not too too long before that Bob bass was a general manager and he took over on an inter basis and Steve just stood up and said hey guys we’ve got to have a head coach I’m top pass you know I’m not going to go down and and Coach the team and so yeah it was uh pretty much it was decided that they they wanted Ry to take it and Ry was reluctant to take it he was very content to have had a great playing career and to be an assistant coach and to be a Houston guy but he talked to uh to Carol and and and basically they they just decid hey if you don’t take this job Rudy we may not have a job at all because go get somebody and then they’ll bring in their own assistance at least this way you know we have some continuity and so from that kind of the a moment of desperation Wy Tom jonovich became the head coach of the Houston Rockets very very much out of character with the ambitious head coaches that that that would just do anything that would you know do anything to get a head coaching job and Rudy never campaigned for it never even wanted it he just took it because he he had to and out of loyalty to the organization and then of course you know as we see the rest is history and a few years later um you know he’s holding up the trophy hey want to touch on that Robert again thanks for joining us because you’re mentioning Rudy T there what a lot of people seem to forget because he’s gone down in coaching history in Houston he was an interim coach in that 93 postseason and they had very tough matchups first against the Clippers and then against the Seattle superponics that went seven games I mean really I remember even Rudy were counting uh before that you know if that that shot in game five versus the Clippers you know by Vernon Maxwell doesn’t go in and the rockets are sent home packing after the first round who knows what happens with the uh coaching situation then if Rudy even comes back that next year no no Rudy was the head coach he got the job after the uh the previous season uh after the season was over he was the interim coach for the rest of the year and then they gave him the Jil in a permanent basis so he was the head coach for the 92 93 season but I really agree with you I think one of the the biggest moments in in Rockets history was that first round playoff win five games went to the deciding game against the Clippers in the 92 93 season because it had been a dry spell the Rockets had been first round flops for several years and couldn’t break through and they had a tremendous finish they were 14 and 16 that year at the 30 game Mark and they went on a tremendous run the last half of the Season something clicked in they got to the playoffs they uh you know they had the Clippers and and the Clippers were good then that was Larry Brown and they took him to five games there matchwell missed Vernon matchwell missed a couple games there I think three and four because of an injury but he came back for game five on a Saturday afternoon and they broke the ice and the tension of that series was so great because had they lost in the first round again all that great work in the second half of that 92 93 season would have been wiped out everybody would have just said Same Old Rockets but uh they won that they broke the ice the playoff ice they went on and had a great seven game series against Seattle lost if I’m not mistaken the home team won every game in that series Seattle had home home court they won game seven at home but it was a moment that I think the Rockets drew the Line in the Sand and said yes we are we are competitive we can win and so the The Sting of that loss in 93 to Seattle really carried them forward into the 93 94 season and that’s when they had the 15 and0 start and eventually of course became the world champions yeah I think that’s important because that 93 season carried into the 94 season like you said for the start that happened there I wanted to get back to Rudy T and is coaching again oftentimes he’s he’s called a players coach and is that kind of dismissing his his coaching Acumen and then why do you think he was the perfect match for the rockets at this time in their history he was a player’s coach but he did it in such a way that you know he didn’t believe confrontation was the way to get the most out of a player because he had been a player and so I guess he knew how he reacted to you know the brow beating coaches uh instead of berating a guy he would say hey Vernon you you know you did this well you’re so quick but if you play the pick and role this way instead of that way you know look how much more effective you would be so he would use that and try to try to always have the back of his players and feeling that that how he would get them to play the artist for him and so you know that was his philosophy other guys do it differently but uh he believed in in how he wanted to go about things and he had a you know really different personalities on his team and he tried to punch the right buttons on all of them to get the most out of them he had a great once in a generation player and aajan and then he had The Supporting Cast which fits he had a philosophy about spacing they played inside out they took it into a Keem and once a Keem became a passer and I think that’s that was a key in their evolution from you know cont from Pretender to Contender is that they played inside out they got three point good three-point Shooters and once a Keem would draw the double team and they would move the basketball and they would get you know good looks from three they would make them if teams then tried to go back and guard a three-point line three-point line of Keem with wheel and deal nobody could stop him at that time 101 and so they had a they had a great a great mix and so you know Ry was the right guy at the right time you also played with or played for some of the great coaches Lenny Wilkins Greg papovich Jim Bano Rudy of course I’m not going to put you on the spot and ask you which was the best coach but but I’d love to know between Jimmy V and Rudy T who was the most animated on the sideline seems like there was a little bit of similarities between those two guys yeah I think uh coach V was definitely you know animated and and uh he he knew how to push your buttons he know how to push your buttons and get the most out of you with Rudy it seemed like you scored it was like it was like you was his son scoring you know he he kind of like like really got emotional uh with you and emotionally attached to you I still remember the phone call when I got traded and how that you know I had been traded before but no one has ever called me and given me you know the respect of a you know a top tier guy and say hey look this is what’s going on this is what we did and Rudy did that so you know I got nothing but respect and love for Rudy uh because he you know he respected me and and you know he always loved you know it seemed like he always loved when I was out there playing well even when I wasn’t playing well he always say you know that’s all right you get a next time you used to call him Chuck Brown that’s all right Chuck Brown you know you get him next time you’re okay you know he always seemed encouraging and uh you know that that always made you want to go that extra mile I mean even if you already playing hard you want to go that extra mile you know where you you you know you you jump in front of a truck for the guy or something you know you just felt like that about Rudy what about Rudy T you know talk about what it was like to play for him uh it was great players coach a friend a mentor it ain’t enough words to put in uh what Rudy meant to my career because he really gave me my shot to actually get out there play and have some um have faith in me and my abilities to be out there on the court and be able to get it done still remain in a relationship with him I mean he’s great I can’t say enough about what was the best moment of your career well in terms of just you know big picture uh watching watching the celebration breakout after game7 94 against the Knicks and the rockets and watching the unbridled Joy of Rudy I tear up a little bit talking about yeah it was I mean I teared up at the time just watching it as a fan because it wasn’t just that they won it was just what this the city had City been through but also what Ry been through personally the kerit Washington punch I mean uh you know being doubted as coach uh being close to being fired on a couple occasions Keem caused him problems only a couple years ear earlier you know you know and and and Rudy just always somehow me I I know I know how it affected Rudy I I you know Rudy was a guy too that I occasionally ran into late at night over a few too many alcoholic beverages and I I I I know I know I know what his mindset was to watch him dance around just that that was that was incredible hey everybody welcome to another edition of realtime Rockets my name is Jeff Hagadorn now you talk about your sweet assignments we certainly have one for you today because we’re going to meet Rockets head coach Rudy T at his ice cream shop stoi get here well actually I’m here to see the boss the boss yeah you know tall guy played at Michigan jersey retired with the Rockets right CH how you doing I’m doing all right welcome to stoes I’m just testing a product you know T and uh fresh are so important how did you bring stues all the way down from an arbor down here to Houston just fell in love with the product up there you know the climate in Houston is a lot warmer than ant Arbor if it can be a success up there God it’s got to do well down here I tell there was another reason too you know Sophie is very creative and she’s a doer right and now with the kids being out of the house you know she was sort of getting involved in basketball and dra up plays and all that I had to do something start some kind of other venture to get her off my back keep her busy yeah no I get the idea but that’s just between me and you no no it stays here all right what’s your favorite flavor here I’ve been a butter of thecan man from way back in the hamic days but just about everything I’ve tried becomes my favorite you’ve got to name a few of the flavors after some of the players so I want to throw a few suggestions out you all right with that sure uh KO crunch it’s kind of good to it yeah and one uh that’s especially timely I thought prings and planter fasciitis I hate that one if you’re going to name some flavors after the players you have to name a flavor after Calvin Murphy you’re you’re a longtime roommate and and Rockets broadcaster that would be really tough how about no cookies and cream because he eats all the cookies yeah and then uh my favorite instead of like if somebody wanted butterscotch they could have my brother Scotch I like that I like that are you ready to teach me how to scoop some stoi hey I’m ready to do it where’s my clipboard you got to get the dip into the comb you got the dip now this is this is the dip that’s the comb that’s the comb okay okay now in basketball you know we have things like rebounds and misses this and this at sco’s no good do you feel that you can get that dip into the cone I I I think I I think I can do it coach I think I can do it well get in there all right can I help you uh yes I’ll buy one scoop of blueberry cheesecake on a walk con and then there’s the follow through that was easy time out time out Jeff get over here not too bad I likeed your grip firm with the Dipper right like a bird with the comb you got down into that bat pretty aggressively follow through not man this guy talks a lot but the ice cream is sweet almost as sweet as as Catherine zet yeah he she’s from Wales wonder why they call it Wales anyway there actual Wales living in Wales choke City that’s weird have you listening to me yeah uh absolutely coach absolutely follow get back in there get back in there make it work okay I’m sorry I’m going to try it again what was it you wanted one scoop of blueberry chees going to go into the ice cream and then follow through follow through and then there’s the execution just got to put it in the a 22nd 22 Lee Lee get him out of there [Music] man great job Lee great execution yes just like we drew it up well after that performance they told me that coach wants to see me in his office you know I’m I’m optimistic I know I didn’t perform all that well but I I got game you wanted to see me yeah I did and I didn’t talk to you hey don’t be discouraged you know just like the Rockets here at uh stui we appreciate role players and I think I’ve got great yeah role players I got a great role for you here get after it but coach I mean well as you can see coach has clearly defined my role here at stui and I hope all of you know your role with realtime Rockets we need thoughts we need suggestions so simply log on to rockets.com and click on realtime rockets and send us your stuff now if you don’t mind I got a little bit of work to do here hey is that Sophie hey the boss is here everybody look busy hey you can’t be back here give me this [Music] m good [Music] the my [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] the [Applause] [Music] you’re listening to Houston Sports Talk hey don’t forget to support us by subscribing and commenting on YouTube you can always listen to us on Spotify apple or your favorite podcast app tell your friends about us and share our Show links on social media spread the word everybody thanks for listening [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause]
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Hey Stephen lots of rockets memories from our younger days 😎😎😎