After about three-and-a-half NBA seasons in Houston, including three extended playoff runs, veteran forward PJ Tucker moves from the Rockets to the Milwaukee Bucks.
But before talking about his new team, which became known with Wednesday’s trade deal, Tucker looked back on the nearly four years that have passed since his July 2017 decision to sign with Houston. In an extensive post on his Instagram account, Tucker wrote:
It’s crazy, but for a place that I love with all my heart, I can’t find the words to describe how much the city of Houston means to me. The city hugged me from day one and stole my heart, with all the love I received.
I put my blood, sweat and tears on the floor and sacrificed everything to try and get a chip [championship] to the city. H-Town, thank you for giving me some of the best years of my life. I will not soon forget you.
A longtime defender for the Rockets, Tucker is in the last year of his contract and recently requested a trade after being unable to agree with the team on his desired contract extension. The Bucks are also offering the 35-year-old the chance to compete for his first NBA title, which Tucker realistically couldn’t do with the Rockets following the departure of superstar guard James Harden in January.
In addition to his defense, Tucker was a clear leader in the Houston dressing room and one of the league’s strongest players. During his time with the Rockets, Tucker played in the most games of any NBA player. Houston also won at least one playoff series in each of Tucker’s years with the team, which no other Western Conference team did during that period.
During Tucker’s first season with the team, Houston went 65-17 – which was easily the NBA’s best mark that season and the best record in team history. While the Rockets never won a championship at the time, it remains one of the most successful runs of all time for the franchise.