Welcome to Toyota Center

I knock arena off my bucket list few days ago. I went to Houston Rockets preseason game taking on Shanghai Sharks. Outside the arena they got statue of Hakeem Olajuwon jersey with his accomplishments.

The logo on display at the main entrance.

Rockets team motto for the season is "Run as One" as it splashed in front of the arena. Can they with James Harden, CP3, Melo, Gerald Green, and maybe James Enthis III?

The doors opened hour before the game. No program or even a roster sheet was given out. The rafters filled with retired jersey numbers of Rudy T, Calvin Murphy, Moses Malone, The Glide, The Dream, CD, and Yao. Also along where two champions they won in 94 and 95 and the defunct WNBA Houston Comets.

The upper level of arena featured encased lockers of former star Rockets which includes Elvin Hayes, Ralph Sampson, Steve Francis, T-Mac, and former owner Leslie Alexander. They still have the hardwood floor from The Summit (which is now Joel Osteen mega-church).

Since they didn't have roster sheets only way fans figure who's playing for the Sharks from the announcer. Two notable players on Sharks were former Rockets player Luis Scola and BYU star Jimmer Fredette. Scola got a welcome back video tribute during the game. Melo and Clint Capela didn't play.

Once tipoff happen it was no contest as Rockets blew through the team hitting 3s everywhere especially Harden along with JE3 and PJ Tucker. Zhou Qi of the Rockets left the game with sprain knee. Jimmer Fredette was a machine playing the entire game scoring almost half of Sharks points but was missing more his share. They were up so big that they gave Harden, CP3, and Enthis entire 4th quarter off and it was preseason garbage time for the Rockets. Meanwhile I moved down from upper level to lower level and ushers didn't mind due to amount of empty seats. Then again it was preseason game.

As usual Rockets defeat Sharks in dominating fashion. Nice to see international team even if its exhibition game.

It's a good arena to catch a game. Like to watch a regular season game there some day.

What's in that repack?

I was on my way San Antonio for WWE Hell in a Cell stopping by at Buccees in New Braunfalls. Across the street was a shopping center with a Target I decide to venture there to check out card station. While going through I notice this on front of Fairfield basketball repack that I have to buy it.

Yep a 1981-82 Topps Julius Erving card. Having the card of top is worth $5 buy to me. As for remaining cards.

Hoops inagural set breaking in Fleer stranglehold. Follows up to......

 Hoops second year set.

Skybox inagural set. They were hottest cards and high end back then. They went different route with artsy background.

A very clean 90-91 Fleer cards

91-92 Hoops card

 Full of 91-92 Upper Deck which I got two Bo Kimble out of this. Also what was James Worthy doing in the photo? Saving a ball out of bounds or a leaping toss?

A very bland design from Fleer

92-93 Fleer of Mark West with cameo of Hakeem Olajuwon and Vernon Maxwell

The premium Fleer Ultra with a Charles Barkley slam dunk

92-93 Skybox stepped away from the graphics art to action shots with graphics whoosh on the ball. 

93-94 Hoops with two players made their return back to NBA. Both would team up as members of San Antonio Spurs

93-94 Hoops

After being bland for couple of years Fleer with simple slam dunk design. Hey look its The Glove

93-94 Skybox including a checklist.

93-94 Upper Deck with Don McLean who won 6th Man of the Year

95-96 Signature Rookies. Both would have journeyman career.

 Cards I never seen before. Score Board produced these cards.

A nice Dennis Rodman card

Upper Deck Collector Choice card featuring UCLA star Ed O'Bannon who sued NCAA. 95-96 UDCC set was start of rookie photo shoot.

Fleer Metal card with Steve Smith

 1996-97 Topps Finest of Michael Williams

Jermaine O'Neal rookie card who would break out after he traded from Trail Blazers

 Player I never heard of

Aussie Luc Longley who picked up rings with Bulls dynasty

Felipe Lopez card mentioning what team drafted him

Skybox/Hoops when different with team logo in the background of a player

Kareem from Topps NBA 50th Anniversary set

Second to last Topps set featuring Brandon Roy whose career cut short by injuries

Topps final set before Panini got NBA exclusive on trading cards

Jeremy Lamb from Upper Deck Authentic

Last card is Rajon Rondo from Panini Prestige

The pack from the pack is Panini Complete and these are the cards

That was kinda fun for me to open up

Undertaker's Last Ride

Can't believe it took me a week to get through this. As I get older there are times part of your childhood dies. One of those moments happend at end of Wrestlemania 33. This wrestler been through high and low times of WWE with his mystique presence in the ring. He put on hundreds of memorable moments from matches to angles. He is known for "The Streak" at Wrestlemania. That legendary wrestler is The Undertaker.

After his loss he put down his gloves, jacket, and hat in middle of the ring signaling his retirement. It was bittersweet and sad with tears appear from this fan as he made his final walk up the ramp knowing this is the final time The Undertaker get to be in the ring. As a fan you know he's going to retire but didn't expect the impact of it.

I started watching in early of 1991 when I was 10. During that time The Undertaker was few months into his WWF run. I grew up watching him through his entire 26 1/2 years run. I witness the start of his Wrestlemania winning streak beating the late Jimmy Snuka at Wrestlemania 7. Watched him shoved The Ultimate Warrior in a casket on Superstars. Watched him beat Hulk Hogan for WWE World Heavyweight title, a first of many times he won the top belt of the company. Watched him turn face and obliterated everyone in his feuds for years til he faced Mick Foley as Mankind in 1996. It was this on and off feud that made Mankind as credible threat doing something that never been in his previous feuds from 1991-1995: getting the best out of him at times. They would have high impact brawls featuring gimmick matches such as boiler room and buried alive match. Both would have infamous match in 1998 when they faced each other at King of the Ring. It was that match Undertaker sent Foley off top of the cage and through announce table. Then later on he chokeslam him from top of the cage but ceiling gave out and Foley gets sent down to middle of the ring. The feud also introduced Kane subplot storyline, his little brother thought to be dead but is alive and looking for revenge. He fought Shawn Michaels in first ever Hell in Cell which Kane finally debut tombstoning him costing him the match. Like Mankind, both feuded on and off through the years, but with a twist teaming together on same side at times. He took drastic change going from Deadman to American Badass in 2000 riding a motorcycle down to the ring. After few years being "Biker Taker" he reverted back to Deadman in 2004. He continued on beating wrestlers and take names and souls with memorable matches and feuds with Batista, Edge, Big Show, and Shawn Michaels. Even he became part-time Wrestlemania only match it was still a sight to see him battle and continue put on good against Triple H and CM Punk to add more to his Wrestlemania winning streak.

Then came Wrestlemania 30 in biggest shock of wrestling world as Brock Lesnar beat him ending his glorious long Wrestlemania winning streak leaving the crowd stunned silenced. It was this match saw the decline of The Undertaker. Decades of bumps finally took a toll on his body and his age catching up on him. He would have mini-feud with Brock Lesnar in summer of 2015 but its hard to watch him gutting out and going through pain despite how good the matches are. After few painful matches and giving it all he decide to hang it up after Wrestlemania 33.

I had opportunity to watch The Undertaker live in person few times. Despite being a fan in 1991 I never been to live WWE show til 2002 when they start coming to Odessa, TX where I used to live in the area. He was in main event against Steve Austin, in his final month before walking out on the company, at house show. The crowd was hot the entire time at Ector County Coliseum as both had fun heated brawl which Undertaker won. The same type of match was done at Judgment Day PPV minus Austin foot on the rope. Funny how it was great to watch it live but two weeks later came off dead on PPV. Seen him the following year teaming with Kurt Angle, and Brock Lesnar to taking on FBI which his team won. And again in 2004 beating Booker T. The next I saw The Undetaker live was 12 years later taking on Shane McMahon at Wrestlemania 32 in Hell in the Cell. Then the final time was at this year Royal Rumble eliminating Goldberg before getting unceremoniously dumped by Roman Reigns achieving white heat status from the crowd for it.

The Undertaker will be missed in the ring by wrestling fans. Not once he threaten to jump to WCW staying loyal to WWE throughout his 26 1/2 year career there. He been there for tail end of Hogan era through New Generation into Attitude followed with Ruthless Aggression going to PG and into Reality era. Thank you Undertaker for those memories and times seen through eyes of this fan as I grew up. Hope see you at WWE Hall of Fame soon most likely next year.