It’s not so usual to see that a person is remembered for many things, especially in such a competitive environment as the NBA. But that’s the case with San Diego / Houston Rockets great Rudy Tomjanovich, who made a name for himself for his playing career before being known as a Hall of Fame coach. Even so, some still remember him for being on the wrong end of a huge punch.
Younger NBA fans don’t often talk about Rudy Tomjanovich when discussing the few players who went on to have a successful career as a coach as well. That’s why today, we’re going to discuss his stellar professional resume and how he managed to spend his career playing for an only team. Buckle up as we take a look back on Tomjanovich’s life.
Rudy Tomjanovich – Early Years
Rudolph Tomjanovich Jr. Was born on November 24, 1948, in the small town of Hamtramck in Michigan. Coming of Croatian descent, his family had to survive on welfare and endure tremendous pressure as his father suffered from chronic back pain and struggled to get a steady job.
Rudy Tomjanovich – High School Career
While not a highly-recruited prospect nor a high school superstar, Rudy Tomjanovich had a pretty decent career in a local high school. He attended high school in his own neighborhood, playing for ‘Hamtramck High School’. Nonetheless, he did most of his basketball learning on the streets.
Where did Rudy Tomjanovich go to college?
It didn’t take long before local scouts noticed Tomjanovich. Back in 1967, he joined the University of Michigan on a scholarship. Playing for the Wolverines, he earned All-Big Ten honors and broke all kinds of rebounding records. Up to this day, he still holds the record for most rebounds in school history.
Rudy Tomjanovich – A San Diego/ Houston Rockets Legend
You can’t talk about Houston Rockets’ history without talking about Rudy Tomjanovich. He was the second-overall pick in the 1970 NBA Draft when the franchise still played in San Diego. That was the only team he played for during his 11 years in the Association.
Notably, he cracked the Rockets franchise records both as a player and as a coach, retiring as the fourth all-time leading scorer in franchise history. Despite never earning All-NBA First Team honors, he was a five-time All-Star.
Rudy Tomjanovich – Becoming The Rockets Head Coach
Following his retirement, Tomjanovich decided to stay with the organization, serving as a scout for two years before being named assistant coach for both Bill Fitch and Don Chaney. He was named Rockets interim head coach after Chaney’s resignation, nearly leading the team to a playoff berth to convince the front office that he was the right man for the job.
It didn’t take long before he showed that he was going to become a local coaching legend. In his first season as head coach, he led the Houston Rockets to the Midwest Division title, becoming the first coach to ever win the Division crown just one year after failing to make the playoffs.
Under his tutelage, the Rockets went through their most epic playoff run of all time in 1994. With Hakeem Olajuwon at center and Michael Jordan retiring from the league, he led the Rockets to back-to-back NBA championships.
Rudy Tomjanovich’s Coaching Style
Despite being a player-first kind of guy who didn’t like to take the credit, Tomjanovich nonetheless heaped tremendous pressure on him and his assistant coaches to be always prepared for every challenge and game.
Rudy Tomjanovich deflected praise and always took a pragmatic approach when people tried to drive the conversation away from basketball and its fundamentals. He built strong bonds with nearly every player he coached. In fact, stars like Clyde Drexler, Scottie Pippen, and Charles Barkley requested and were granted trades to Houston just to play for Tomjanovich.
That relentless work ethic helped him reach 527 career wins (503-397 regular-season record and 51-39 playoff mark. ) with a winning percentage of .559. On top of that, he holds the winning percentage and career wins the regular-season records in Rockets history.
Rudy Tomjanovich – Leading Team USA
Being the basketball man he was, Tomjanovich volunteered to coach the U.S. Men’s Senior Team ahead of the 1998 FIBA World Cup in Greece. That came in the midst of a lockout, so U.S. Basketball put together a hastily-assembled group of college players and CBA hoopers. Even so, his coaching style and expertise led them to the bronze medal.
He later served as the coach for the 2000 Olympics in Sidney, this time having a plethora of superstars at his disposal. Unsurprisingly, he led them to the gold medal with an immaculate 8-0 record. Then, six years later, he was called upon to serve again, this time as a director of scouting.
Rudy Tomjanovich – A Brief Stint With The Los Angeles Lakers
Being known as the ultimate players’ coach and with some outstanding service under his belt, the Lakers thought Tomjanovich’s instinctive managerial style was perfectly suited for the roster they had at the time. Unfortunately, he was only there for a chunk of the 2004-25 regular season.
Rudy Tomjanovich – Awards And Accolades
The Houston Rockets retired his jersey after his retirement. Also, his collegiate jersey in Michigan was retired as well after his outstanding career with the men’s senior basketball team. Throughout his carer, Rudy T had a scoring average of 17.4 points, and a rebounding average of 8.1 boards to go along with 2.0 assists per game.
During his playing career, he was a five-time All-Star, made the second-team All-American, third-team All-American, 2, and First-team All-Big Ten. He won back-to-back NBA championships and made it to the NBA All-Star Game as a coach as well. He won one bronze and one gold Olympic medal with the USA Men’s Basketball Team and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He’s also a part of the Houston and Michigan Halls of Fame.
Rudy Tomjanovich – Net Worth
Rudy Tomjanovich is estimated to have a net worth between $1 million and $5 million, largely due to his long NBA career as both a player and head coach. He was an 11-time All-Star and won two championships with the Houston Rockets as head coach. Tomjanovich also made money through endorsement deals, investments, and other business endeavors.
What nationality is Rudy Tomjanovich?
Rudy Tomjanovich was born in Michigan, therefore he is a United States citizen. He spent his entire career in the United States, both as a player, assistant coach, and NBA champion head coach. He’s of Croatian descent, though.
When did Rudy Tomjanovich retire?
Rudy Tomjanovich retired after the 1980-81 NBA season. But even though he was on the decline, he still managed to average 11.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. He made 52 appearances and the team won 40 games and even made it to the NBA Finals. Tomjanovich’s jerseys were retired as well shortly after.
What did Kermit Washington do to Rudy Tomjanovich?
The NBA used to be way more physical back in the day, and Rudy T, despite his easy-going manner, was no pushover. He proved that by trying to break up a fight when his team was playing the Lakers. Unfortunately for him, that would be the wrong choice.
Tomjanovich was on the wrong end of Kermit Washington’s hand and suffered life-threatening injuries from a punch in the face. Tomjanovich left the game for five months and his regular season was over. Fortunately, he was able to make a comeback and get another All-Star nod after that.
Did Rudy Tomjanovich sue Kermit Washington?
Kermit’s Washington punch on Rudy Tomjanovich changed basketball forever. A Houston jury ruled that the Lakers had to pay $1.8 million for the damages their player inflicted, plus an additional $1.5 for failing to train and supervise Washington to prevent him from punching the five-time NBA All-Star in the first place.
Then-commissioner Larry O’Brien was a huge advocate against violence and to see such veteran players getting into that kind of scuffle was a big scandal at the time. That set a precedent for franchises to establish clauses and behavior codes on their contracts.
Why did Rudy Tomjanovich quit Lakers?
Rudy Tomjanovich was supposed to continue what Phil Jackson had accomplished with the Los Angeles Lakers and lead the Kobe Bryant era in Los Angeles. Nonetheless, he resigned after half a season, not because of his past bout with bladder cancer, but because of alleged mental and physical exhaustion.
Rumors around the league claimed that the Lakers terminated his five-year, $30-million contract after they gave him a $10 million settlement. He still served as a consultant with the franchise, though.
What is Rudy Tomjanovich doing now?
Following his successful career as a player and a coach, Rudy Tomjanovich became a consultant for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Nonetheless, some speculate that he could be tempted to be back on the bench and pursue another challenge in his coaching career, should the opportunity present itself at some point.
Is Rudy Tomjanovich in the Hall of Fame?
It took him a while but eventually, Rudy Tomjanovich got his much-deserved induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a head coach. It was only natural after other champion coaches had already gotten the nod on the same year they inducted legendary NBA players like Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, and Tim Duncan.
Tomjanovich played a huge role in Rockets’ franchise history as both a basketball player and a coach, helping them stay relevant when the franchise relocated and nearly leading them to three consecutive titles.
