Editing Houston Rockets (section)

====2002-2004: Early years with Yao and Francis====
After Houston was awarded the first overall pick in the [[2002 NBA draft]], they selected [[Yao Ming]], a {{convert|7|ft|6|inch|m}} Chinese center.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2002_3558639 |title=Yao the Man |last=Blinebury |first=Fran |date=June 27, 2002 |work=Houston Chronicle |access-date=February 23, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012171235/http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2002_3558639 |archive-date=October 12, 2012}}</ref> The Rockets missed the 2003 playoffs by one game, improving their record by 15 victories led by All-Star starters [[Steve Francis]] and Rookie Yao Ming.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/HOU/2003.html |title=2002–03 Houston Rockets Roster and Statistics |publisher=Basketball-Reference.com |access-date=February 23, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2003.html |title=2002–03 NBA Season Summary |publisher=Basketball-Reference.com |access-date=February 23, 2009}}</ref>

The [[2003–04 NBA season|2003–04 season]] marked the Rockets' arrival to a new arena, [[Toyota Center (Houston)|Toyota Center]],<ref name="newarena">{{cite news |last=Feigen |first=Jonathan |title=New arena buoys spirits |url=http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2003_3698392 |work=Houston Chronicle |date=October 10, 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012171243/http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2003_3698392 |archive-date=October 12, 2012 |access-date=February 23, 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> a redesign of their uniforms and logo,<ref name="fashion">{{cite web |last=Feigen |first=Jonathan |title=Red's in fashion again |url=http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2003_3692266 |work=Houston Chronicle |date=September 21, 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629170801/http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2003_3692266 |archive-date=June 29, 2011 |access-date=July 28, 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and their first season without Rudy Tomjanovich, who resigned as head coach after being diagnosed with [[bladder cancer]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2003_3657129 |title=End of an era |last=Feigen |first=Jonathan |date=May 24, 2003 |work=Houston Chronicle |access-date=February 23, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012171357/http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2003_3657129 |archive-date=October 12, 2012}}</ref> Led by former Knicks coach [[Jeff Van Gundy]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/10/sports/pro-basketball-van-gundy-accepts-job-as-coach-of-the-rockets.html |title=Pro Basketball – Van Gundy Accepts Job As Coach of the Rockets|last=Broussard|first=Chris |date=June 10, 2003 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=February 23, 2009}}</ref> the Rockets finished the regular season with a record of 45–37,<ref name="04year">{{cite web |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/HOU/2004.html |title=2003–04 Houston Rockets Roster and Statistics |publisher=Basketball-Reference.com |access-date=February 23, 2009}}</ref> earning their [[2004 NBA playoffs|first playoff berth]] since 1999,<ref name="houstonindex" /> again losing to the Lakers in the first round.<ref name="04year" />

[[File:Yao Ming with the Chinese flag 2008 Summer Olympics - Opening Ceremony.jpg|left|thumb|[[Yao Ming]] carrying his home country's Five-star Red Flag at the [[2008 Summer Olympics]]]]