Why ‘Old’ Championship Houston Rockets Like Vernon Maxwell Love What Ketchup and Mustard’s Return In the New Uniforms Means For the Future

Standing in front of a giant Dunktronaut logo done in the Houston Rockets’ championship ketchup and mustard, the ketchup and mustard of his era, Vernon Maxwell is an enthusiastic as ever. The player known as Mad Max appreciates the history, how these Fertitta era Rockets are pulling guys like him back in.

“It brings back a lot of memories for me,” Maxwell tells PaperCity. “Because that’s one of my special jerseys to play in. I knew when Rudy T(omjanovich) told us it’s time to put on that ketchup and mustard, it was a meaningful game. It’s a blessing, man — just to have it come back. I’m very excited. It should have always been in. Never left.

“But it’s back and it’s a blessing for me to be saying, I was able to play in the ketchup and mustard. And then to have it reinvented back, have it come full circle.”

Vernon Maxwell remembers wearing the ketchup and mustard during Game 3 of the 1994 Western Conference semifinals at Phoenix (road teams wore their solid colors on the road and white at home back then) when he completely flipped a series the Rockets trailed 2-0 after two straight losses at home.

“We were down 0-2 — we blew two 18-point leads in the first two games,” Maxwell says. “Before we got on the plane, the whole city, and the paper, was calling us Choke City. I was like, ‘F**k that. I ain’t that. . . And all the guys, they were making vacation spots. Because we thought it was over and they did. But I had another clip in my gun.

“Unfortunately, I had a bad first half — two points in the first half. I went into the locker room and talked to myself like I always do and got myself together. All I had to do was see it go through the hoop one time. When it went through one time. And like I always said, ‘White boy can’t never guard me.’ And they had Dan Majerle on me who’s a white boy.

“So I had it get to work. And get to cooking.”

Maxwell finished with 34 points in that game and the Rockets would roar back to win the series and eventually the first championship for any major Houston professional sports team. Uniforms are all about the memories you make in them. Vern Maxwell and the rest of those Hakeem Olajuwon era Rockets made unforgettable ones in ketchup and mustard.

Bringing the beloved color scheme back while giving the ketchup and mustard a modern twist forward always stood at the center of Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta and his son Patrick Fertitta, the current alternate governor of the franchise, push for new uniforms. A vision that dates back almost to the time Tilman Fertitta first purchased the Rocket in 2017.

“They were involved from the very beginning,” Rockets president of business operations Gretchen Sheirr says of the Fertittas. “This is something that’s super important to them.”

“It brings back a lot of memories for me. Because that’s one of my special jerseys to play in. I knew when Rudy T told us it’s time to put on that ketchup and mustard, it was a meaningful game.” — Vernon Maxwell on Rockets new uniforms

The result of a three year process from design to unveiling are three new uniform looks. Complete with the Dunkstonaut (the dunking astronaut that became a sensation with its 2023-24 City Edition uniform debut) on the waistbands, giving this new addition a permanent place as a secondary logo (more on the benefits that brings later). The Rockets big R logo is featured in an insert on the side of the shorts and instead of solid pinstripes there are space quasars that are not solid lines, adding to the distinct look of the unis. The lines show differently in the white, red and black uniforms as well.

New Houston Rockets Uniform Details

If details matter, Houston Rockets senior creative director Jose Lopez and the rest of the new uniforms team certainly delivered. From the nod to the Rockets’ two franchise championship on the back collar of the jerseys to the slanted typeface and lower case t in both ROCKEts and HOUStON that harken back to those 1994 and 1995 championship era, little touches abound. Right down to the Clutch City tag. Even the Jumpman Jordan logo on the Rockets’ new black uniforms is done in Rockets’ championship mustard.

Tilman Fertitta traces his own Rockets fandom back to the San Diego Rockets and those early Elvin Hayes days that even predate the move to Houston.

History matters to the stewards of Houston’s NBA franchise, even as they plan for a long window of being in championship contention with Amen Thompson, Alperen Şengün, Jabari Smith Jr. and Reed Sheppard. So many former Rockets being included in the new uniforms teaser videos — Hakeem Olajuwon, Steve Francis, Calvin Murphy, Ralph Sampson, Vernon Maxwell, Elvin Hayes, two-time championship coach Rudy Tomjanovich and Bill Worrell, the voice of the Rockets’ biggest moments — drive home this intention. There is even a nod to the late, great Moses Malone. Along with cameos from Houston celebs Mo Amer and Slim Thug.

The spots featured a fictional Rudy T’s dinner, filmed at the very real Tel-Wink-Grill on Telephone Road. Don’t be surprised if some version of a Rudy T’s comes to life at the renovated Toyota Center this upcoming season. Along with a Dunkstonaut logo court, one of the advantages of making the dunking astronaut an official permanent part of the team’s regular branding.

Vernon Maxwell loves everything about the throwback towards the future. The ketchup and mustard. The fictional diner shoot. Even what this current Houston team can be in year two of Kevin Durant in Rockets red.

“We just need a point guard,” Maxwell tells PaperCity. “Fred (VanVleet) is coming back this year. I just hope they keep the team together. And give the team a chance with a real true point guard. And I think it will be a special year next year if we keep everybody together.”

New uniforms are only as good as the memories you make in them, after all.