​Since the Houston Rockets began play in the 1967-68 season, players have worn a total of 52 different jersey numbers for the franchise, with one exception: Carroll Dawson, Houston’s longtime assistant coach and general manager, did not belong to any numerical series. Over the Rockets’ history, these numbers have been worn by almost 500 players, forming a rich tapestry of the team’s on-court identity. To honor every player who wore these numbers through the decades, Rockets Wire is documenting the full history of Houston’s jersey numbers and the athletes who wore them—from the franchise’s inception to the present day.
There is a deep well of history to explore, especially with seven numbers now retired in recognition of the franchise’s most legendary players who donned those numbers. The Rockets’ storied past is evident in moments like the image of former star Rudy Tomjanovich’s jersey being lifted to the rafters at the Toyota Center, a scene that underscores how much these numbers mean to fans and the franchise alike.
In today’s installment, we continue with the sixth of 16 players who wore the No. 21 jersey: Henry James, a forward who stands as an alum of Centreville, Alabama. After completing his college career at St. Mary’s, James went undrafted in 1988 and spent time in various leagues before signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1990. He spent the early portion of his NBA career with Cleveland, and later played for the Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz, and Los Angeles Clippers at the league level before catching on with the Houston Rockets in 1996. His tenure with Houston lasted only a season before he signed with the Golden State Warriors that fall.
During his time with the Rockets, James wore only jersey No. 21 and posted an average of 4.3 points per game. All statistics and data cited in this piece come from Basketball Reference. This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire as part of the series “Houston Rockets Jersey History: No. 21 – Henry James (1996)” to support better search engine optimization.