In 1984, the Houston Rockets retired Calvin Murphy’s no. 23 jersey. He is the second player to receive this honor. The team previously retired Rudy Tomjanovich’s jersey in 1981. Tomjanovich was a five-time NBA All-Star forward who played for the Rockets between 1970 and 1981. Murphy is a similarly decorated player who spent his entire career with the team. He was selected by the San Diego Rockets in the 1970 NBA draft. Murphy was known for his defensive skills and nominated for the NBA All-Rookie team in 1971. He set a team record for the all-team leading scorer (the record was later broken by Hakeem Olajuwon in 1994). He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993.
Today in Sports History: March 17
