Houston Rockets: Top 10 NBA Draft picks in franchise history
By Simon Smith
6. Calvin Murphy (PG/SG) — No. 18 pick in 1970 NBA Draft
Career stats (with the Rockets): 1,002 GP, 17.9 PPG, 4.4 APG, 2.1 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 48.2 FG%, 13.9 3P%, 89.2 FT%
Murphy has been a part of the Rockets’ fabric even since he was selected in the second round in 1970. Despite standing just 5’9″, Murphy managed to put together a magnificent 13-season career, all spent with the Rockets.
Despite being named as an All-Star on just one occasion (1979), Murphy was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993.
Murphy spent his first season with the Rockets while the team was first based in San Diego. Despite moving to Houston the following season, Murphy’s team continued to struggle, missing out on the playoffs for his four seasons in the league. But as Murphy began to establish himself, so too did the Rockets.
His first trip to the playoffs came in 1975, where the Rockets eventually fell in the semifinal round to the Boston Celtics. In all, Murphy made six trips to the postseason, despite the team never breaking the 50-win barrier during this time (the best being 47-35 in 1978-79).
His crowning achievement from a team sense was reaching the NBA Finals in 1981, sharing the court with fellow future Hall-of-Famer Moses Malone. But despite this pairing, the Rockets were unable to overcome a much stronger Boston Celtics side, going down 4-2 in the series. This was some achievement for Murphy and the Rockets, considering the team posted just a 40-42 record during the regular season.
One pivotal game for Murphy and the Rockets on the way to the Finals was Murphy’s 42-point explosion in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals.
Overall, Murphy had five seasons in which he averaged at least 20 points per game, the best being 25.6 points per game on 49.1 percent shooting during the 1977-78 season. That season also featured Murphy’s career-high single game performance, registering 57 points in a loss to the New Jersey Nets.
Since his retirement, however, Murphy’s connection with Houston has not been lost. He has now been a long featured pre-and-postgame analyst for the Rockets with South West Root Sports. Furthermore, Murphy had his No. 23 retired by the Rockets in 1984.