Rockets backup center Chuck Hayes couldn't keep quiet any longer.
While teammate Von Wafer was answering questions about how he would celebrate after the Rockets' series-clinching win over Portland on Thursday night, Hayes couldn't believe Wafer was going out dressed like that. "Not with that Eddie Murphy Golden Child jacket," Hayes said.
Indeed, Wafer looked like something straight out of a 1980s movie, with his leather jacket, gold watch and, of course, the mohawk that has made him so recognizable.
Wafer, 23, never skipped a beat, though, turning his thoughts and words to the Los Angeles Lakers, the team that drafted him in 2005 and the team the Rockets meet in the Western Conference semifinals beginning Monday night.
"I think it's going to be a great series," Wafer said. "We had them on the ropes twice."
Wafer, a 6-5 guard, quietly has become one of the Rockets' most popular players, in part because of his appearance but also because of the infectious energy he provides off the bench.
He scored five points, including a 3-pointer, in 16 minutes in Thursday's 92-76 win over Portland in Game 6, which wasn't bad considering he had been ruled out of the game early in the day because of a sore back.
Wafer averaged 9.8 points off the bench in the Blazers series, including a 21-point performance in Game 2. And Wafer was just as steady in Thursday's postgame interviews.
"I believe in myself and my ability and my teammates," he said.
Wafer was taken by the Lakers in the second round of the 2005 draft out of Florida State, but saw limited playing time. He was waived by the Lakers a year later and played for the Los Angeles Clippers, Denver and Portland before finding a home with the Rockets .
As he prepares to face the team that drafted him and then sent him packing, Wafer has no ill feelings against the Lakers.
"I don't think they gave up on me," he said. "They just had some other players and they made the best decision. I thank them for giving me the opportunity."
But facing the Lakers has brought out the best in Wafer. He scored a career-high 23 points against them Jan. 13 in Houston and 20 points against the Lakers on March 11, also at Toyota Center.
"It's going to be a dogfight," he said. "We've just got to go in there and know that we can win. We can't go in there and be good with a close game down the stretch. We have to try to win, not be satisfied with just being there. All the pressure is on them. They were predicted to be the champions by everybody."
brian.mctaggart@chron.com
