The Houston Rockets have had many successful eras. Unfortunately, the Steve Francis era was not one of them.
Rockets fans of a certain age will remember those days fondly. How could they not? Francis inspired hope in a way few Rockets players have.
The Olajuwon era was over. After watching an aging core of The Dream, Charles Barkley and Scottie Pippen struggle to reclaim their prior glory, Rockets fans needed an injection of youth. Enter Francis.
The rush hour handles. The otherworldly vertical leap. Francis' entertainment value was off the charts:
It just never quite translated in terms of on-court value.