The 1983–84 Houston Rockets season featured the NBA debut of Ralph Sampson, whom the Rockets had selected as the first pick of the 1983 NBA draft. Under head coach Bill Fitch, the team finished with a 29–53 record, although Sampson won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award.
The team has been cited as an example of a "tanking", by deciding to play more bench players after starting the season with a 20–26 record, in order to fall in the standings and get higher in the draft order for the following season. The Rockets finished last in the Western Conference and later won a coin flip that gave them the first section in the 1984 NBA draft, with which they selected Hakeem Olajuwon.
Draft picks
Roster
Regular season
Season standings
Record vs. opponents
Game log
Regular season
|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 4 | November 4, 1983 | @ Detroit | W 113–108 | | | | Pontiac Silverdome | 2–2 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 5 | November 5, 1983 | @ Kansas City | L 106–123 | | | | Kemper Arena | 2–3 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 6 | November 8, 1983 | Portland | L 104–122 | | | | The Summit | 2–4 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 7 | November 10, 1983 | Utah | L 109–118 | | | | The Summit | 2–5 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 8 | November 12, 1983 | Dallas | W 100–98 | | | | The Summit | 3–5 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 9 | November 15, 1983 | New Jersey | L 86–104 | | | | The Summit | 3–6 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 10 | November 18, 1983 | @ Denver | L 127–134 | | | | McNichols Sports Arena | 3–7 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 12 | November 22, 1983 | Phoenix | W 118–96 | | | | The Summit | 5–7 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 13 | November 25, 1983 | Philadelphia | L 101–115 | | | | The Summit | 5–8 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 14 | November 26, 1983 | @ Atlanta | L 109–115 | | | | The Omni | 5–9 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 16 | November 30, 1983 | @ Dallas | L 102–113 | | | | Reunion Arena | 6–10
|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 17 | December 2, 1983 | Seattle | W 125–102 | | | | The Summit | 7–10 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 18 | December 3, 1983 | @ New York | L 101–117 | | | | Madison Square Garden | 7–11 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 19 | December 6, 1983 | Washington | L 109–113 | | | | The Summit | 7–12 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 20 | December 7, 1983 | @ Milwaukee | L 101–103 | | | | MECCA Arena | 7–13 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 22 | December 10, 1983 | Utah | L 121–128 | | | | The Summit | 8–14 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 23 | December 13, 1983 | Phoenix | W 129–110 | | | | The Summit | 9–14 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 24 | December 15, 1983 | @ Utah | L 111–138 | | | | Salt Palace Acord Arena | 9–15 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 27 | December 22, 1983 | @ Seattle | W 116–112 | | | | Kingdome | 11–16 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 28 | December 23, 1983 | @ Portland | L 84–97 | | | | Memorial Coliseum | 11–17 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 30 | December 29, 1983 | Boston | W 107–94 | | | | The Summit | 12–18 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 31 | December 30, 1983 | @ Phoenix | L 110–121 | | | | Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum | 12–19
|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 32 | January 3, 1984 | Dallas | L 117–119 | | | | The Summit | 12–20 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 33 | January 4, 1984 | @ Utah | L 111–116 | | | | Thomas & Mack Center | 12–21 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 34 | January 6, 1984 | @ Seattle | W 116–112 | | | | Kingdome | 12–22 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 35 | January 8, 1984 | @ Los Angeles | W 129–118 | | | | The Forum | 13–22 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 36 | January 10, 1984 | Los Angeles | L 132–136 (OT) | | | | The Summit | 13–23 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 37 | January 12, 1984 | Portland | L 117–120 | | | | The Summit | 13–24 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 39 | January 14, 1984 | Kansas City | W 109–104 | | | | The Summit | 15–24 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 40 | January 17, 1984 | Denver | W 124–115 | | | | The Summit | 16–24 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 42 | January 21, 1984 | Utah | W 115–105 | | | | The Summit | 18–24 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 44 | January 26, 1984 | @ Los Angeles | L 102–131 | | | | The Forum | 18–26 |- align="center" |colspan="9" bgcolor="#bbcaff"|All-Star Break |- style="background:#cfc;" |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 45 | January 31, 1984 | @ Kansas City | W 122–107 | | | | Kemper Arena | 19–26