Last Updated on June 19, 2025 by Mat Diekhake
League Search Page > NBA > Houston Rockets > Roster & Statistics
Here is the 1996–97 Houston Rockets roster and player statistics:
Houston Rockets 1996–97 Roster
| No. | Player | Pos | Ht | Wt | Age | College/From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Hakeem Olajuwon | C | 7-0 | 255 | 34 | Houston |
| 10 | Kenny Smith | G | 6-3 | 180 | 32 | North Carolina |
| 11 | Robert Horry | F | 6-9 | 210 | 26 | Alabama |
| 15 | Buck Johnson | F | 6-7 | 210 | 33 | Texas Christian |
| 14 | Sleepy Floyd | G | 6-3 | 180 | 34 | Georgetown |
| 5 | Otis Thorpe | F | 6-9 | 235 | 35 | Providence |
| 32 | Chucky Brown | F | 6-8 | 225 | 31 | NC State |
| 50 | Matt Maloney | G | 6-3 | 200 | 30 | Pennsylvania |
| 34 | Charles Barkley | F | 6-6 | 252 | 33 | Auburn |
| 35 | Clyde Drexler | G | 6-7 | 228 | 34 | Houston |
| 8 | Carl Herrera | F | 6-6 | 210 | 33 | San Jose State |
| 31 | Scott Brooks | G | 6-3 | 175 | 31 | Stanford |
Player Statistics (Regular Season – 1996–97)
| Player | GP | MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hakeem Olajuwon | 82 | 38.3 | 23.3 | 10.3 | 3.0 | 1.7 | 3.2 | .511 | — | .748 |
| Clyde Drexler | 73 | 37.6 | 20.4 | 6.0 | 4.4 | 1.7 | 0.8 | .463 | .357 | .772 |
| Charles Barkley | 66 | 36.7 | 19.2 | 13.5 | 4.1 | 1.1 | 0.9 | .474 | .334 | .760 |
| Kenny Smith | 76 | 31.2 | 9.5 | 2.1 | 4.7 | 1.2 | 0.2 | .442 | .373 | .817 |
| Robert Horry | 81 | 34.2 | 12.4 | 6.5 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 1.1 | .455 | .338 | .745 |
| Sleepy Floyd | 65 | 15.9 | 6.0 | 1.6 | 2.2 | 0.7 | 0.2 | .440 | .309 | .766 |
| Otis Thorpe | 72 | 30.5 | 10.1 | 6.0 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 0.5 | .479 | — | .753 |
| Buck Johnson | 40 | 11.0 | 3.8 | 2.4 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.2 | .421 | .261 | .710 |
| Chucky Brown | 74 | 17.5 | 5.7 | 4.1 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.4 | .441 | .302 | .740 |
| Carl Herrera | 32 | 8.6 | 3.2 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.1 | .489 | .345 | .741 |
| Matt Maloney | 37 | 7.2 | 2.3 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 0.2 | .395 | .344 | .714 |
| Scott Brooks | 23 | 7.1 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | .367 | .355 | .600 |
Team Overview
- Head Coach: Rudy Tomjanovich
- Regular Season Record: 57–25 (1st in the Western Conference)
- Playoffs: Lost in the Western Conference Semifinals, 4–2 against the Utah Jazz
- Notable Highlights:
- The Rockets boasted a strong roster with the combination of Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, and Clyde Drexler.
- Hakeem Olajuwon continued to be the anchor of the team, playing an instrumental role in both defense and offense.
- Charles Barkley and Clyde Drexler, both future Hall of Famers, helped the team contend for the championship, though they faced setbacks in the postseason.
- Despite a strong regular season, the Rockets’ playoff run was cut short by a series loss to the Utah Jazz, which proved to be a tough challenge for the Rockets’ veteran-laden squad.