Houston Rockets: Top 10 NBA Draft picks in franchise history
By Simon Smith
3. Rudy Tomjanovich (PF/SF) — No. 2 pick in 1970 NBA Draft
Career stats (with the Rockets): 768 GP, 17.4 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 2.0 APG, 0.7 SPG, 1.6 TOV, 50.1 FG%, 26.2 3P%, 78.4 FT%
Arriving with the Rockets in the same draft class as Calvin Murphy, Rudy Tomjanovich quickly became a staple of the Rockets franchise. Spending all 11 seasons with in Houston, Tomjanovich demonstrated an amazing combination of skill and determination that transferred into a spectacularly successful career.
Commencing in 1973-74, Tomjanovich was named an All-Star in five of the next six seasons. The only season he wasn’t named an All-Star was the 1977-78 due to missing the final 59 games of the season as a result of the now-infamous Kermit Washington incident. In a game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Tomjanovich was severely punch by Washington, causing a shattered face and jaw and life-threatening injuries.
Despite returning the following season as an All-Star, the incident clearly was an impediment on the longevity of his career. Tomjanovich retired at age 32 despite being a valuable contributor for the Rockets. He was duly rewarded by having his No. 45 retired by the franchise in 1982.
Over his six-season stretch of being named an All-Star, Tomjanovich was outstanding in producing 21.0 points and 8.1 rebounds per game while shooting 51.9 percent from the field.
While his playing career was more than impressive, Tomjanovich excelled even further in his second major role with the Rockets — head coach. Leading Houston to back-to-back titles in 1994 and 1995 certain only cemented Tomjanovich’s reputation as one of the all-time greats of the Rockets franchise.