San Diego was the original destination for the now Houston Rockets. The Rockets were founded in 1967 in “America’s Finest City” by San Diego Hall of Champions Founder Robert “Bob” Breitbard, who paid an entry fee of $1.75 million to join the NBA as an expansion team for the NBA’s 1967-68 season. As the story goes, the NBA wanted to add more teams out west and chose San Diego based on the city's strong economic and population growths, along with the local success of an ice hockey team also owned by Breitbard, the San Diego
Gulls. After four seasons in San Diego, the Rockets moved to Houston in 1971 and never looked back.
Besides selecting future Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1968 NBA Draft, the Rockets enjoyed minimal success during their time in San Diego, but did wind up hosting the league’s annual All-Star Game at the San Diego Sports Arena on Jan. 12, 1971.
This lot features a special 25th Anniversary NBA All-Star Game clock that was presented to Breitbard during the All-Star Game festivities. The oversized clock presentation measures 21.5” wide by 30” high and boasts the names of all 17 teams that were competing in the league at that time including the Cincinnati Royals, Buffalo Braves and the Baltimore Bullets. Just above the clock, which is embedded in the center of the presentation, reads: “National Basketball Association XXV Anniversary.” Attached at the bottom right corner is a specially engraved metal plaque that reads as follows: “PRESENTED TO PRESIDENT ROBERT BREITBARD, SAN DIEGO ROCKETS BASKETBALL CLUB, NBA ALL-STAR GAME, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, JANUARY 12, 1971, SAN DIEGO ROCKETS BASKETBALL CLUB.” The piece weighs 12 pounds.
Includes Letter of Provenance from the San Diego Hall of Champions.