Charlie Thomas

Charlie Thomas, former Rockets owner, dies at 89

 

He was not on the list.

Charlie Thomas, the owner of a Texas car dealership empire who owned the Houston Rockets from 1982-1993 and helped build the team that would win the franchise’s only championships, died on Friday of complications from COVID-19, his son-in-law Danny Klaes said. Thomas was 89.

Thomas maintained his passion for the Rockets and vintage automobiles throughout his life. He continued to attend games, always in his preferred location at the center court players’ tunnel to the court in The Summit/Compaq Center, for years after he sold the team.

He did not miss televised Rockets games in the years since, Klaes said, often watching with some of his eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren and daughters Kelly, Robin and Tracy.

“He remained a true Rockets fan,” Klaes said. “He always had them on the television. He really was a true fan and always just had a heart for all the fans.”

Thomas also maintained his love of his car collection, still owning roughly 250 antique automobiles on his ranch in Columbus.

During his tenure as Rockets owner, he greenlit the move to trade Moses Malone to begin a rebuilding that led to the Rockets taking Hall of Famers Ralph Sampson and Hakeem Olajuwon with the first picks of consecutive drafts and reaching the NBA Finals in 1986. He was part of a volatile rift with Olajuwon when he accused Olajuwon of feigning a hamstring injury over an impasse in contract negotiations. Olajuwon demanded an apology that never came and was suspended.

Before the start of the next season, however, Thomas and Olajuwon spoke throughout the 14-hour flight to Tokyo for the 1992-93 season opener against the Seattle SuperSonics, mending fences. The Rockets were then willing to continue to build around Olajuwon, assembling much of the team that would win the 1993-94 and 1994-95 championships.

Thomas purchased the Rockets from the Maloof family for $11 million and sold after the 1992-93 season to Leslie Alexander for $85 million.

Thomas tested positive for COVID-19 on Dec. 27 after a trip to Mexico, enjoying life as he always had.

“He always said he was going to die from living, not live to die,” Klaes said.