A ROCKET AT HEART: My Life and My Team

by Rudy Tomjanovich, Robert Falkoff

The coach of the NBA's Houston Rockets recounts his life story, speaking out not only on the challenges of coaching a great player like Hakeem Olajuwon but also on the strategies that have led his team to two NBA titles

Genres: Sports, Basketball, Biography, Nonfiction

304 pages, Hardcover

First published April 16, 1997

Reviews

[Scotty]

In Rudy Tomjanovich’s autobiography A Rocket At Heart: My Life and My Team, he describes in detail the experiences he’s had with the game of basketball, most notably with his 30 plus years with the Houston Rockets organization as a player, scout, assistant, and head coach. I would recommend this book to any basketball junkie, any coach, or anyone who is trying to get into coaching. Is is evident over the course of the book that Tomjanovich truly loves the game of basketball and is in it for the right reasons, something that’s not always the case with a lot of players and coaches. Tomjanovich has many major lessons and philosophies that he lives his life by that he describes in detail in his book. I’ve read a lot of basketball books and this is up there as one of the greatest stories of someone who had the real backing of an NBA franchise for such a long time. The book appealed to me in an emotional way because I truly love basketball and it describes the adversity teams must go through and fight through to make it to the top. I couldn’t recommend this book enough for anyone in the basketball family and for anyone who loves the NBA!

[Steve Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a Rockets fan from childhood, Rudy T will always be something of a hero of mine for the two championships from the 90s. I'd endured some terrible seasons and remember the exhilaration of finally winning in 1994. As for the book, it's a standard sports bio--Tomjanovich spends time on his childhood, college and professional careers, and his ascent through the Rockets organization. I enjoyed the behind the scenes of the team an organization. Most of all, I was reminded of Rudy's humility and his insistence on crediting those around him. A Rocket at Heart was a fun trip down memory lane and reminded me why I held Rudy T in such high regard when the Rockets were the center of my world.

[Judd Vance · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid basketball book. It's a typical biography, in that Rudy T. tells about growing up, playing in high school, college, and the pros. What makes this unique is that he has spent his entire professional career with the same franchise. He tells of playing with different coaches and what he learned from them as a player, and also what he learned working with them (Del Harris, Bill Fitch, Don Cheney).

He provides lots of insights into his coaching philosophy on the court and off the court. He tells of dealing with problem players like Vernon Maxwell, and true professionals, like Calvin Murphy (his room mate as a player) and Hakeem Olajuwon. The book goes through how they built the champion team of 1994, and the reasons behind the controversial Clyde Drexler trade of 1995, and how they defied the "expert" opinions of those who said the trade was bad.

And yes, he does cover in depth the Kermit Washington sucker punch. Tomjanovich comes across a decent guy. A bit of a touchy-feely type of fellow, but a good coach to play for.

[Mason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good inside look at Rudy's career and the genesis of the Rockets organization through the championship runs.