The Houston Rockets have hired Kevin McHale to succeed Head Coach Rick Adelman.  McHale, a Hall of Fame player and three-time champion with the Boston Celtics, went 39-55 in two brief stints as interim coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

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Houston Rockets owner Leslie Alexander says Kevin McHale is a proven NBA champion who has the leadership skills and basketball knowledge necessary to guide the team into the future.

“Kevin’s hard-nosed work ethic and tenacity on the court led him to a Hall of Fame career and a legacy as one of the NBA’s greatest low-post players of all time.”

McHale says he will continue to use much of the offense Rick Adelman used, but he's determined to upgrade the Rockets’ defense.

“We need to get better defensively,” McHale said. “Look at the Finals. It’s really about defense and defensive accountability. Trying to outscore people in this league doesn’t work. You have to maintain defensive integrity.”

McHale will spend today in Houston working with Rockets general manager Daryl Morey before heading to Dallas tomorrow to rejoin the TV coverage of the NBA Finals.

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