Houston Rockets: 25 Best Players To Play For The Rockets
By Phil Watson
1992-98. Mario Elie. 24. player. 169. <strong>How acquired:</strong> Trade, Portland Trail Blazers, Aug. 2, 1993.. SF
The Houston Rockets added a worldly presence on the wing in August 1993 when they acquired Mario Elie, nearly 30 years old but a veteran of just three NBA seasons, from the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for a 1995 second-round pick.
To say Elie outperformed Houston’s expectations would be an understatement of the highest order.
Elie backed up the small forward spot for the Rockets in the 1994 NBA Finals, averaging 2.4 points in 11.3 minutes per game, shooting .250/2-for-5/5-for-6 in the seven-game victory over the
that gave Houston its first championship.
His role changed by the next season, when the Rockets swept the Orlando Magic to win a second straight title. Starting all four games, Elie put up 16.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.0 steals in 40.3 minutes per game while shooting .649/8-for-14/9-for-10.
He was fifth in the NBA in free-throw shooting in 1996-97, when he recorded the best True Shooting percentage and highest Offensive Rating in the league.
In January 1999, Elie signed with the San Antonio Spurs as a free agent.
In five seasons in Houston, Elie averaged 9.8 points, 3.1 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 27.8 minutes per game on .480/.363/.860 shooting.
Elie had put up some nice numbers for a program that hung on the outer edges of Division I basketball, averaging 20.0 points and 9.1 rebounds as a senior at American International.
Barely noticed by pro scouts, Elie was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in the seventh round of the 1985 NBA Draft. He was waived in July 1985, long before ever getting a shot in training camp.
That launched a five-year odyssey that took Elie to Ireland, Argentina and Portugal, as well as stints domestically in both the U.S. Basketball League and Continental Basketball Association, before he got an NBA shot, signing a camp deal with the Los Angeles Lakers in October 1990.
Elie was waived after just 13 days, but in December 1990, he got a 10-day contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, which was followed in February 1991 by a 10-day audition with the Golden State Warriors, who signed him for the remainder of the season.
In August 1992, Elie signed as a veteran free agent with the Trail Blazers.
He picked up a third championship ring with San Antonio in 1999, departing to sign with the Phoenix Suns in September 2000.
He retired after the 2000-01 season and has logged 10 seasons as an NBA assistant coach since, most recently with the Magic last season. He was not retained when head coach Scott Skiles resigned and was replaced by Frank Vogel.
Elie is 46th in NBA history with a free-throw percentage of .854.
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