After approximately three and a half NBA seasons in Houston, including three extended playoff reps, veteran striker PJ Tucker is moving 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 to 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 with all my heart, I can’t find words to describe how much the city of Houston means to me. The city embraced me from the first day and stole my heart, with all the love that was shown to me.
I gave my blood, sweat and tears on the floor and sacrificed everything to try to bring a chip [championship] to town. H-Town, thanks for giving me some of the best years of my life. I won’t forget you anytime soon.
Tucker, a longtime defender of the Rockets, is in the final year of his contract and recently requested an exchange after he failed to reach an agreement with the team on the desired contract extension. The Bucks will also offer the 35-year-old the chance to compete for his first NBA title, which Tucker failed to realistically do with the Rockets after superstar guard James Harden left in January.
In addition to his defense, Tucker was a clear leader in the Houston locker room and one of the toughest players in the league. Throughout his time with the Rockets, Tucker played in most games for any NBA player. Houston also won at least one series of playoffs 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 scored 65-17 – which was easily the best NBA mark that season and the best record in the team’s history. Although the Rockets never won a championship at that time, it remains one of the most successful races of all time for the franchise.