The Rockets Combine the Past While Looking to Future With Jersey Release

Since leaving San Diego's green and gold theme colors in the franchise's first few seasons, the Houston Rockets have been synonymous with yellow and red. The Rockets sported the ketchup and mustard starting in 1972, their first season in Houston, which was basically a variation of their San Diego uniforms.

The Rockets wore those uniforms for only four seasons before switching to the iconic red-and-yellow version, which was part of the best era of Rockets basketball. The Rockets went to a more slanted jersey name, and those are the jerseys most older Rockets fans associate with the team.

The ketchup-and-mustard version the Rockets wore from 1976-1995 was the one they wore during their four NBA Finals appearances and, of course, their only two NBA championships in 1994 and 1995. Those jerseys were worn by Rockets greats, including Moses Malone, Clyde Drexler, and, of course, the great Hakeem Olajuwon. The Rockets would then switch to the most controversial jersey in history: the more cartoon-themed red, blue, and white striped jerseys they wore from 1995 to 2003.

Those jerseys marked the beginning of the end of the Rockets' championship run, and people like me who were old enough to remember that time period try to block that version out of our collective memory. The Rockets would move back to a more basic red-and-white look after the pin-stripe nightmare and go through a few different versions before settling on the current look they have had since 2019.

That was until today, when the Rockets unveiled their new logos and look for the 2026-27 season, ushering in a new era of Rockets basketball.

The Rockets bring back the past while still looking forward with new jerseys.

Thursday, the Rockets released not only their new logos but also new jersey colors and design. The Rockets have been dropping hints about what the jerseys would look like for the last couple of weeks, and on Thursday, we finally saw the final product.

The Rockets are bringing back the ketchup mustard, but in a different form.

Along with their new black jerseys, which are their new statement edition uniforms.

The Rockets also have a pin-striped version of their jersey, as they will alternate jerseys throughout the season. The Rockets also changed their logos with the classic R now in a different border, along with the popular Dunkstrounaut and familiar R logo.

Patrick Fertitta, Vice Chairman of the Houston Rockets and Comets, released a statement early Thursday about the Rockets' new look.

“We heard our fans…Ketchup and Mustard is back!” said Patrick Fertitta, Vice Chairman of the Houston Rockets and Comets. “From the time my family bought the team in 2017, we’ve heard from countless fans about how deeply those colors are tied to their memories of Rockets basketball. We wanted to create something that celebrates the generations of fans who built Rockets basketball while inspiring the next generation of Rockets fans.”

The Rockets will continue celebrating their new look on Friday, hosting a pop-up event at the George R. Brown Convention Center from 10-8 Friday. The first 100 fans who spend $100 or more will receive a free T-shirt.

Rocket legends Rudy Tomjanovich, Steve Francis, and Vernon Maxwell will all sign autographs starting with Rudy T from 12-1, Francis from 2-3, and Maxwell from 4-5. There will be a live DJ, an interactive photo booth, games, and complimentary food and beverage samplings.

A new era begins for the Rockets as they usher in a new look with a familiar feel, aiming to bring back some of the old magic with the classic look. The Rockets' new merchandise is now available at RocketsShop.com

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