Houston, I can't tell you how proud I am of OUR TEAM! No team in the history of the NBA has done what this team has done. No team has had a harder road. We started out the sixth seed. We had to play the four best teams in the league. Without the home court advantage. And it was tough. It was tough in Utah. They had two chances to send us home, but WE WOULDN'T DIE! It was tough in Phoenix. They had three chances to win just one game to end our season, but WE WOULDN'T DIE! People are starting to realize that the heart of a champion DOESN'T DIE EASY!.
We did some remarkable things this year. We beat a great San Antonio team three times on their court. A very young and talented Orlando team had us down by 20, but we pulled it out. We broke all kinds or records. We won 7 straight road games in a row. Nine overall. We made more three pointers than anybody. In the Finals, no one made less turnovers than the Rockets.
Then we did something that you're not supposed to do. We made a major trade during the season. But the Rockets had the character to keep that chemistry together and win a championship anyway!
The players you are honoring tonight are special people. They have special qualities. They work hard. They play tough defense. They sacrifice. They believe in teamwork and they believe in themselves. And when times get tough, they pull even a little bit closer and feed off each other and become stronger. And they don't understand the word quit.
We played some very good basketball in the playoffs. But what makes me even prouder is the way we carried ourselves. The Rockets BROUGHT SPORTSMANSHIP BACK TO THE GAME! While our opponents were talking trash and guaranteeing that we would loose, when we had the upper hand, we did it the right way. We stayed HUMBLE and HUNGRY.
This is no ordinary team.
This team has class.
This team has style.
This team has guts.
And they deserve a special place in the history of the NBA!
Thank You!