​Since the franchise’s inception at the start of the 1967-68 season, the Houston Rockets have hosted players sporting 52 different jersey numbers, with one numberless entry belonging to Houston assistant coach and general manager Carroll Dawson. Over the course of Rockets history, this extensive roster of numbers has been worn by just under 500 players. On October 27, 2009, in Portland, Oregon, Portland Trail Blazers center Joel Przybilla battled for a rebound with Houston Rockets center Pops Mensah-Bonsu, who wore number 21, during the second quarter of the game at the Rose Garden. The scene was captured by photographer Steve Dykes for USA TODAY Sports. In tribute to every athlete who wore those numbers across the decades, Rockets Wire is chronicling the full history of Houston’s jersey numbers and the players who wore them, from the team’s earliest days to the present.
With seven of these numbers now retired to honor some of the greatest Rockets in franchise history, there is a rich sweep of history to document. In today’s installment, we continue with the ninth in a series of 16 profiles for players who wore No. 21: Nana Papa Yaw Mensah-Bonsu. The London-born forward completed his college career at George Washington and went undrafted in the 2006 NBA Draft, ultimately signing with the Dallas Mavericks. Mensah-Bonsu’s professional journey began in Dallas, where he appeared in the first 12 games of his career. He later competed in other leagues and spent time with the San Antonio Spurs and the Toronto Raptors before joining the Houston Rockets in 2009. His tenure with Houston lasted through the following season, ending when he was released the next fall.
During his Rockets tenure, Mensah-Bonsu wore only jersey No. 21, averaging 1.3 points and 1.0 rebounds per game. All statistics and data cited here are courtesy of Basketball-Reference. This feature originally appeared on Rockets Wire as “Houston Rockets jersey history No. 21 – Nana Papa Yaw Mensah-Bonsu (2009),” created to enhance SEO.