After about three NBA seasons in Houston, including three extended rounds in the playoffs, veteran striker PJ Tucker moves from the Rockets to the Milwaukee Bucks.
But before talking about his new team, which became known through Wednesday’s trade deal, Tucker looked at the nearly four years that have passed since his July 2017 decision to sign with Houston. In an extended message on his Instagram account, Tucker wrote:
It’s crazy, but for a place I love wholeheartedly, I can’t find the words to describe how much Houston means to me. The city hugged me from day one and stole my heart, with all the love it showed me.
I put my blood, sweat and tears on the floor and sacrificed everything to try to get a chip [championship] to the city. H-Town, thank you for giving me some of the best years of my life. I won’t forget you soon.
Tucker, a longtime defensive stalwart for the Rockets, is in the final year of his contract and recently requested a deal after failing to agree with the team on the desired contract extension. Bucks will also give the 35-year-old a chance to compete for his first NBA title, something Tucker could not realistically do with the Rockets after James Harden left in January.
In addition to his defense, Tucker was a clear leader in the locker room in Houston and one of the toughest players in the league. During his time with the Rockets, Tucker played in most NBA games. Houston also won at least a series of Tucker playoffs each year with the team, which no other Western Conference team has accomplished during this time.
During Tucker’s first season with the team, Houston went 65-17 – which was easily the best NBA record of that season and the best record in the team’s history. Although the Rockets never won a championship in that era, it remains one of the most successful periods of all time for the franchise.