Matt Bullard praises unheralded ex-Rocket

Matt Bullard knows basketball inside and out. The man has played in professional football for over 30 years, in a multitude of roles.

Bullard went from an undrafted prospect to an 11-year playing career, which included an NBA championship with the Houston Rockets in 1994. Bullard was the ideal type of player for the Rockets, as coach of the Temple of fame, Rudy Tomjanovich and general manager. Carroll Dawson looked to surround Hakeem Olajuowon with shooters and/or floor spacers.

Bullard has consistently been one of the Rockets’ best shooters, with a career long-range average of 38.4 percent. Another key player on the Rockets’ championship teams was Carl Herrera, who was a tenacious defender and scrap dog.

Herrera was part of both championship runs for the Rockets, no surprise, because every team needs those skills. The aforementioned Bullard recently went out of his way to shower praise on the little-known Herrera.

“To win a championship, you have to have one or three superstars, but you also have to have role players who fit well with your superstars.

Carl fits in perfectly with our team, both on and off the field. We called him “Amigo” because he was friends with everyone on the team.

Everyone loved him, his personality was egoless and all he wanted to do was win. He played hard when he had the chance, and he was a great teammate on the bench when he wasn’t playing. »

» continued Bullard.

“Carl’s play on the court in the 1994 Finals was critical to our victory. The New York Knicks had a huge, nasty front line.

Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley, Anthony Mason. Carl had to come off the bench to face these guys, otherwise we wouldn’t have won the title.

Carl was tough, didn’t shy away from his physicality and was very effective on both ends of the floor. Offensively, he managed to score in different ways. On defense, he was able to guard multiple positions and rebound effectively. »

Rockets fans don’t often talk about Herrera, as most new-age Rockets fans weren’t around during the title years, so it’s great to see Bullard give him his flowers.

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