Only two jersey numbers are retired by both the Astros and the Rockets: No. 24, which belonged to the late Jimmy Wynn and Moses Malone, and No. 34, claimed by Nolan Ryan and Hakeem Olajuwon. Add the Oilers’ Earl Campbell to the No. 34 club and you’ve got a triumvirate of all-time sports greats at the same number.
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Who is the best in Houston sports to wear those and every other number? While we wait for live sports to return, The Athletic rated the top athlete in the city’s sports history at each.
0: Russell Westbrook
There’s probably an Aaron Brooks fan club somewhere that would like to have a word about this, but it just has to be Russ. Ever since Brodie swapped Oklahoma City for Houston in July, he’s brought an intensity, snarl, and swagger that the Rockets didn’t even know they needed desperately. Playing in a new system has unlocked the most efficient version of Westbrook in his career. No contest. Sorry, Aaron.
1: Warren Moon
This was a tough call. Carlos Correa wears this number for the Astros now, and Tracy McGrady donned it for the Rockets. Though the Rockets won more than 50 games in four of McGrady’s five seasons in Houston, they made it out of the first round just once, during a postseason he missed because of an injury. Moon was 70-69 as a starter for the Oilers but led the team to seven straight playoff berths from 1987-93, during which time he ranked second in total passing yards (24,149), tied for second in passing touchdowns (156) and averaged 7.5 yards per attempt.
2: Alex Bregman
The Astros current superstar third baseman is the easy choice here. Patrick Beverley didn’t make for much of a competition when stacked up against the best player on one of the best teams in baseball.
3: Chris Paul
Ty Lawson walked so Chris could run. Paul’s arrival in June 2017 signaled the start of a new era for Houston, the most successful regular season in franchise history, and the closest thing to an NBA Finals the city had seen in over two decades. Paul averaged 17.0 points and 8.1 assists over two seasons in a Rockets uniform, but fans will remember him for the moments. The Blazers comeback. Game 5 against the Jazz. The shimmy over Steph, and the hamstring injury.
4: George Springer
If we have this conversation in a year or two, it’s probably Deshaun Watson. But Springer has been one of the best players on the Astros since 2014 and one of the best players in MLB since 2017.
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5: Jeff Bagwell
Cuttino Mobley was a good player, but, yeah, this one isn’t remotely close.
6: Jake Marisnick
Strangely, there weren’t many options for this number, though Bonzi Wells gave Marisnick a run.
7: Craig Biggio
Like with Bagwell, that Biggio is enshrined in Cooperstown made this one easy. A few honorable mentions: Dan Pastorini, Tina Thompson and DaMarcus Beasley.
8: Matt Schaub
Though a propensity for pick-sixes came to define the end of his tenure, Schaub did enough as the Texans’ starting QB to earn this spot ahead of ex-Astro Jed Lowrie. A two-time Pro Bowler, Schaub guided the Texans to their first playoff berth in 2012, when he threw for more than 4,000 yards and completed 22 touchdowns passes.
9: Gordie Howe
More Houston fans might associate this number with former Astros Hunter Pence or Marwin González, but Howe, a hockey legend, came out of retirement when the Aeros of the now-defunct World Hockey Association drafted his sons, Mark and Marty. Even in his mid-40s, the elder Howe played at an MVP level, and the Aeros won league championships in 1974 and 1975.
DeAndre Hopkins- the best in Houston to ever wear No. 10 – was just traded to Arizona by the Texans. Getty Images
10: DeAndre Hopkins
Sorry if this one hurts, Texans fans. But Hopkins — who might’ve finished as the greatest receiver in franchise history had he not been traded to the Cardinals — deserves the nod here over Rockets guards Sam Cassell and Eric Gordon, as well as former Houston Comet Kim Perrot.
11: Yao Ming
UH Heisman winner Andre Ware had a dog in this fight and so did fellow Rocket Vernon Maxwell, but Yao Ming not earning this distinction would be criminal. Not only was he influential in the city of Houston, he was a key figure in the global game, helping bridge an entire overseas community with a just-as-large appetite for hoops. And that’s before you even remember that he’s in the Hall of Fame, averaged 19 and 9 for his career and made All-NBA five times.
12: Jeff Kent
Kent spent only two seasons in Houston, but he was really good in both of them, good enough to beat out Dwight Howard.
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13: James Harden
There will be a statue of James Harden somewhere around Toyota Center by the time his career is done and dusted. The Euro-stepping, stepbacking lefty has won everything in his career sans an NBA title, but his time in Houston has been nothing short of remarkable, especially considering how he entered the league. It’s the Beard’s, apologies to Billy Wagner.
14: Cynthia Cooper-Dyke
The WNBA did not begin play until Cooper-Dyke was 34 years old, but that didn’t stop her from winning two MVP awards in five seasons, helping turn the Comets into a dynasty. She remains in the Houston sports scene today, as the women’s basketball coach at Texas Southern.
15: Carlos Beltrán
He leaves an extremely complicated legacy in Houston, but his epic 2004 postseason still puts Beltrán ahead of former Rockets big man Clint Capela and oft-injured Texans wide receiver Will Fuller.
16: George Blanda
Of the three teams he played for a 26-year football career, Blanda spent the least amount of time in Houston. But during seven seasons here, from 1960-66, he put up his most prolific numbers as a passer — good and bad. The Hall of Famer threw 36 touchdowns on just 362 attempts in 1961, when he earned his lone All-Pro nod, but the next year, Blanda tossed 42 interceptions, which remains a record.
17: Lance Berkman
Mario Elie will always be celebrated in Houston for being part of two NBA title teams, but Berkman was one of the best position players in Astros history.
18: Joe Morgan
The all-time great second baseman is known more for his time in Cincinnati, where he wore No. 8, but he was still really good while with Houston early in his career. Also, he’s the only All-Star caliber player to ever wear No. 18 in this city.
19: Bill Doran
Doran was a fixture at second base for the Astros in the ’80s, and a good player to boot. He gets the nod over former Oilers cornerback Willie Alexander.
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20: Miller Farr
In his first season with the Oilers, Farr recorded 10 interceptions. He played for five teams across a 10-year career, but his two All-Pro honors came while he was a member of the Oilers.
21: Andy Pettitte
Despite his tenure with the Astros lasting only three seasons, the left-hander’s star power is enough to beat out former Rice baseball star José Cruz Jr. the third overall pick in the 1995 draft.
Sheryl Swoopes and Cynthia Cooper- Dyke helped build the Comets into a dynasty that won WNBA titles four years in a row from 1997-2000. Getty Images
22: Sheryl Swoopes
Roger Clemens and Clyde Drexler are worthy candidates, but Swoopes is the most accomplished pro athlete Houston has ever had. A three-time WNBA MVP, Swoopes created the city’s only sports dynasty. With her leading the way, the Comets won four consecutive championships, from 1997-2000.
23: Calvin Murphy
Arian Foster and Enos Cabell warranted consideration, but the Hall of Famer and fan favorite made this one an obvious choice.
24: Moses Malone
If not for Moses, No. 24 in Houston would belong to the late great Jimmy Wynn. But Moses Malone was a two-time MVP while with the Rockets.
25: José Cruz
The two-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger has his number retired by the Astros.
26: Bob Watson
Watson wore No. 27 for a vast majority of his Astros career, but he did wear No. 26 in 1968, his first full season. Sorry, Lamar Miller and Luis Gonzalez.
27: José Altuve
Some day, the Astros will retire this number.
28: César Cedeño
Cedeño is the easy choice here. The former center fielder has a case for being the third-best position player in team history behind Bagwell and Biggio.
29: Ken Houston
Despite his name, Houston only spent six of 14 professional football seasons as a member of the Oilers, but they were some of his best. The Hall of Famer began a run of 12 straight Pro Bowls during his time with the Oilers, and he recorded all nine of his career pick-sixes while playing in the city with which he shared a name.
30: Kenny Smith
Easy choice here. Before he was an award-winning analyst, racing with Shaq to the board on TNT, he was running the show for the two-time NBA champions. It’s astonishing to think what The Jet would have done if the 40 percent 3-point shooter took more than 2.7 triples a game in Houston.
31: Shane Battier
Battier’s numbers don’t exactly jump off the page at first glance — 10.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists — but make no mistake: without Battier in those lineups, Houston doesn’t win 22 straight. Houston doesn’t stand a chance against Kobe and the Lakers. It’s about time we gave one of the league’s impressive defenders, most important glue guys and a pioneer for 3&D talent his flowers, even at the expense of former Astros pitcher Collin McHugh.
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32: Hoyle Granger
Tyrann Mathieu was a valuable member of the Texans during the one season he spent in Houston, but Granger made two Pro Bowls in five years with the Oilers. A running back, he led the American Football League in yards from scrimmage in 1967.
33: Mike Scott
This exercise reminded us that Scottie Pippen once played for the Rockets, but No. 33 in Houston definitely belongs to Scott, the 1986 Cy Young Award winner who famously threw a no-hitter in a division clincher.
34: Hakeem Olajuwon
With apologies to Earl Campbell and Nolan Ryan, Olajuwon is the ultimate No. 34 in Houston. Not only is he one of the best players in NBA history, but he led the Rockets to two championships.
Since arriving in Houston in 2017, Justin Verlander won a World Series and Cy Young award with the Astros. Getty Images
35: Justin Verlander
Even if he ends up spending only four-plus years with the Astros, his tenure will be storied.
36: Joe Niekro
Niekro, who pitched 11 years in Houston, benefits from a weak group that includes former Oilers defensive back Carter Hartwig and ex-Texans running back Ron Dayne.
37: Wayne Graham
He was Rice’s longtime head baseball coach, not a player, but Graham wore this number while building one of the country’s most respected collegiate baseball programs. Under his watch, the Owls made every NCAA tournament from 1995-2017 and reached the College World Series seven times. In 2003, Rice won the program’s only national championship.
38: Tom Griffin
The former Astros starter’s competition is … Danieal Manning?
39: Bob Knepper
The lefty was an All-Star twice in his nine seasons (1981-89) with the Astros.
40: Don Wilson
Before his tragic death at the age of 29, Wilson was a dominant starter for the Astros in the late ’60s and early ’70s. He was an All-Star in 1971 and pitched two no-hitters. His number was retired by the team in 1975, the year of his death.
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41: Brad Peacock
Swinging between the bullpen and the rotation, Peacock held the Astros pitching staff together in 2017 when Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers Jr. battled injuries and then converted a rare 11-out save in Game 3 of that year’s World Series.
42: José Lima
A fan favorite in Houston, Lima pitched his way to his lone career All-Star Game selection while a member of the Astros in 1999.
43: Ken Forsch
Forsch was a fixture on the Astros’ pitching staff in the ’70s, throwing a no-hitter and making an All-Star Game. His longevity allowed him to beat out fellow pitchers Jim Deshaies and Lance McCullers Jr. as Houston’s best 43.
44: Roy Oswalt
Elvin Hayes played only four seasons for the Rockets while Oswalt was a fixture atop the Astros’ rotation for a decade.
45: Rudy Tomjanovich
Tomjanovich was a great enough player that the Rockets retired his number after he finished playing, making this one a no-brainer even before you consider his accomplishments as a coach.
46: Jon Weeks
Long snappers don’t make many all-time lists, but Weeks is entering his 11th Texans season.
47: Dicky Moegle
Rice’s All-American running back in the 1950s was tackled off the bench and into one of college football’s most famous plays. Oh yeah, and he’s in the College Football Hall of Fame.
48: Vern Ruhle
Ruhle had a 3.35 ERA in 749 2/3 innings for the Astros from 1978-84. Plus, no one else of note has claimed 48.
49: Larry Dierker
Dierker is a Houston baseball legend. He also faces no real competition at his number.
Hall of Famer Ralph Sampson’s legacy lives on in Houston. Getty Images
50: Ralph Sampson
Hard-throwing righties J.R. Richard and Charlie Morton hold special places in Astros history, but the 7-foot-4 Sampson is a Hall of Famer. The first overall pick in the 1983 Draft was an All-Star in each of his first four seasons before the injuries struck.
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51: Randy Johnson
The Big Unit stands alone here.
52: Robert Brazile
Part of the Luv Ya Blue Oilers, Brazile was the 1975 defensive rookie of the year and a two-time All-Pro. He was part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2018 class.
53: Ken Giles
It ended miserably in Houston for Kenny G, but he is somehow still the most qualified 53.
54: Brad Lidge
Despite his shortcomings against Albert Pujols, Lidge was still an All-Star while with the Astros. He was also part of the historic six-pitcher no-hitter in 2003 at Yankee Stadium.
55: Dikembe Mutombo
He’ll best be remembered for his finger wag and “No, no, no!”, but Dikembe’s impact on the Rockets stretched far beyond the box score. Thirty eight at the time of his arrival in Houston, Mutombo was obviously on the backend of his career, but still was an impressive defensive force down low. He owns the NBA record for oldest player to grab 20 rebounds in a game at age 40, and should be remembered for manning the paint after Yao went down, helping the Rockets keep their winning streak hopes alive at 12 and taking it to 22.
56: Brian Cushing
Cushing’s best season was arguably his first. He won defensive rookie of the year honors in 2009, when he made it to his lone Pro Bowl. The linebacker played nine seasons for the Texans and is now a member of the coaching staff.
57: Darryl Kile
Kile was an All-Star and threw a no-hitter for the Astros, giving him the edge over former Oilers linebacker Steve Kiner.
58: Brooks Reed
The situational pass rusher began a nine-year career in Houston, where he recorded 14.5 sacks and 34 QB hits across four seasons.
59: Whitney Mercilus
Fellow Texans linebacker Demeco Ryans was another option here, but after signing a recent contract extension, Mercilus appears on his way to 10-plus years in Houston. Mercilus, a 2012 first-round pick, has never made a Pro Bowl, but his 50 sacks are the third-most in franchise history.
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60: Dallas Keuchel
Keuchel was a cornerstone in the Astros’ transition from rebuilder to contender and won the AL Cy Young Award in 2015.
61: Bob Talamini
During eight seasons with the Oilers in the 1960s, Talamini received six consecutive Pro Bowl nods and three All-Pro nominations for his stellar play at left guard.
62: Jon Schuhmacher
He was a four-year starter at guard for the Oilers.
63: Mike Munchak
He lasted just three seasons as Titans head coach but enjoyed much more success as an Oilers offensive lineman. A left guard, Munchak was a two-time All-Pro who missed one Pro Bowl from 1984-93.
64: Lucas Harrell
Uhh, yeah. Let’s just say this one is more reflective of the history of this uniform number in Houston than the player.
65: Elvin Bethea
Official stats only credit Bethea with one career sack, but during a 16-year career spent entirely with the Oilers, the defensive end received eight Pro Bowl nominations.
66: Nick Martin
Martin ranked eighth among centers last season in pass block win rate. The three-year contract extension he signed in 2019 begins this season.
67: Mike Stensrud
A nose tackle, Stensrud played seven seasons for the Oilers. In the final two, he totaled 9.5 sacs. Today’s Texans would love to add that sort of interior pass rushing.
68: Breno Giacomini
The offensive lineman doesn’t even have a Pro Football Focus stats page, but he spent the final season of an eight-year NFL career starting 16 games for the Texans. That was enough to earn him this spot, at a number with little competition.
69: Chester Pitts
A member of the inaugural Texans, Pitts started 16 games at guard in seven consecutive seasons.
70: Al Jamison
Jamison, an offensive tackle, played just three seasons for the Oilers from 1960-62, but he was an All-Pro every year.
71: Tytus Howard
The Texans received criticism for drafting Howard, the only first-round pick to ever come out of Alabama State. But eight starts, including seven at right tackle, were enough to earn him a spot on the All-Rookie team and beat out the minimal competition at No. 71.
72: Zach Wiegert
Splitting time between tackle and guard, Wiegert played 12 NFL seasons, the final four of which he spent in Houston.
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73: Eric Winston
Winston played six seasons for the Texans, but more notably, he just finished his term as NFLPA president.
Bruce Matthews is a Houston icon after his years with the city’s first NFL team, the Oilers. Getty Images
74: Bruce Matthews
Matthews played 19 years, starting his career with the Oilers and finishing it with the Titans. He earned the final of his seven All-Pro honors in his penultimate season, at 39 years old.
75: Don Floyd
Vince Wilfork wore this number, but he spent just two seasons with the Texans. Floyd was a member of the Oilers for eight years, and he earned All-Pro honors in 1962, when he intercepted four passes.
76: Duane Brown
A four-time Pro Bowler, Brown is one the first star players the Texans traded away during the Bill O’Brien era.
77: Iván Rodríguez
Pudge wasn’t an Astro for long, but who else has worn No. 77?
78: Curley Culp
The trade for Laremy Tunsil, the Texans’ current No. 78, will help define an era of professional football in Houston. But for now, Culp remains the most accomplished athlete to wear that number while playing in this city. After spending the first half of his career in Kansas City, Culp made four straight Pro Bowls as an Oilers nose tackle. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013.
79: Ray Childress
Depending upon when you grew up in Houston, you might best know Childress from ads for a local car dealership. But before becoming a pitchman, he was a five-time Pro Bowler for the Oilers. From 1988-93, Childress recorded 54 sacks, 19th-most in the league during that span.
80: Andre Johnson
No brainer. With Hopkins gone, Johnson figures to hold onto the Texans’ franchise records for receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches for a lot longer.
81: Owen Daniels
From 2008-12, Daniels, a two-time Pro Bowler, ranked in the top 15 among tight ends in catches, receiving yards and touchdowns.
82: Ed Husmann
It’s not often that a defensive tackle wears No. 82. And this defensive tackle received through Pro Bowl nominations while playing for the Oilers in the 1960s. He helped the team win the 1961 AFL title.
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83: Kevin Walter
After beginning his career with the Bengals, Walter spent seven seasons as a complement to Andre Johnson.
84: Buddy Dial
Dial makes a rare appearance for a Rice athlete on this list. He was an All-American who spent eight seasons in the NFL and received induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.
85: Drew Hill
His only two Pro Bowl years came as a member of the Oilers, during his age 32 and 34 seasons. He recorded more than 70 catches and 1,000 yards in each.
86: Jabar Gaffney
After being part of the first four Texans teams, Gaffney headed to New England, where he joined a long list of underwhelming receivers to catch passes from Tom Brady.
87: Charley Hennigan
Even by the standards of today’s pass-happy NFL, Hennigan put up impressive numbers as an Oilers receiver in the 1960s, when he won two AFL titles. In 1961, he recorded 1,746 receiving yards and averaged 21.3 yards per reception. In 1964, he made 101 catches.
88: Garrett Graham
Like Daniels, Graham was a tight end for the Texans who played collegiately at Wisconsin. He lasted six seasons in Houston.
89: Bill Groman
Groman won four AFL titles and was an All-Pro for the Oilers in 1961, when he put up numbers as a receiver that are hard to fathom today: 17 touchdowns and 23.5 yards per reception.
90: Mario Williams
This was a choice between two underwhelming No. 1 overall picks: Williams or Jadeveon Clowney. Arguments exist for both. Clowney is a more versatile player, but Williams had more dominant seasons as a pass rusher than Clowney ever has.
91: Amobi Okoye
Sorry to Sports Radio 610’s Seth Payne, who also wore No. 91 while playing for the Texans.
92: Anthony Weaver
Weaver didn’t record very impressive stats during his three Texans seasons, but he later became the team’s defensive coordinator. That’s enough to earn this spot ahead of some other relatively anonymous defensive linemen.
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93: Jason Babin
His best years in the AFC South came while playing for the Titans and Jaguars. In one season with each of those teams, he
94: Antonio Smith
A fan favorite, Smith made the lone Pro Bowl of his 13-year career as a member of the Texans.
95: William Fuller
This defensive end was more durable than the Will Fuller who Texans fans root for today. The elder Fuller played in at least 12 games in every season of his 13-year career.
96: Metta World Peace
All elbows and funky haircuts aside, whether you still remember him fondly as Ron Artest or Metta World Peace, his lone 2008-09 season was unforgettable. The hard-nosed defender brought an edge and tenacity to a team desperate for playoff success and helped them advance past the first round for the first time in over a decade. Rockets fans will remember a hard-fought second round showdown with the Lakers, and a large part of that was due to Metta’s refusal to back down to Kobe Bryant or anyone.
97: Angelo Blackson
There wasn’t much competition for this spot, which goes to an interior defensive lineman who has recorded four QB hits across the past three seasons.
98: D.J. Reader
Edge rusher Connor Barwin was an option here, too, but an injury ultimately limited him to just three healthy seasons with the Texans. Reader played four and blossomed into one of the NFL’s best nose tackles, with an expensive new contract with the Bengals to boot.
J.J. Watt was an easy choice for No. 99 – the Texan will go down in history in Houston sports. Getty Images
99: J.J. Watt
Was there ever any doubt? You probably saw this one coming 100 names ago.
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