Rudy Tomjanovich played his entire career for the Houston Rockets, then coached the team to back-to-back NBA titles (and the city’s first and only world championships) in 1994 and 1995. Following his team’s sweep of Orlando in the 1995 championship, Tomjanovich delivered an iconic quote to those who doubted his team, saying “Don’t ever underestimate the heart of a champion.” That was the year the Rockets became the only No. 6 seed ever to win the NBA title.
Next, Tomjanovich would shine on the global stage as head coach of two Olympic games, 1998 and 2000. He successfully coached Team USA to Olympic gold in Sydney in 2000. Aside from that, Tomjanovich ranks 29th in all-time wins while coaching the fewest seasons of anyone ahead of him.
In January 2020, Tomjanovich was inducted into the Houston Sports Hall of Fame…a well-deserved honor after decades of contribution to the Houston community- first as a player and then as a world championship-winning coach.
Everyone we ask, including professional players and coaches, are shocked that he is not already in the Hall of Fame.
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