"It's because they tease their fans every year with a solid regular season and then a flop in the playoffs. Gets old."

"I think the correct order of popularity around here is 1.) J.J. Watt, 2.) Texans, 3.) Astros, 4.) Rockets."

"Should definitely be Astros, Rockets and then Texans. Unfortunately, it's Texans and then a decent drop to Astros then Rockets."

"As a Rockets fan, it blows my mind. It's a football state and little league is a pastime here. (Basketball's) growing, but they always have less sports apparel, less bumper stickers … less people around town talking about them, but are easily the winningest team of the three."

I couldn't have said the above better myself, Houston. So I let you say it Friday, and you sure did speak out.

It's a question that has been rolling around in my head for years. With Houston's pro basketball team entering Saturday with the second-best record in the NBA (34-13) and Daryl Morey's creation possessing two of the biggest international stars in the game, it was time to take the lingering Q to the masses.

What more do you want?

Why are the Rockets the No. 3 pro sports franchise in Houston?

Why doesn't a thrilling team featuring James Harden and Chris Paul receive more local attention?

I have several theories, which I'll get to in a minute.

You clearly had your own, filling up my Twitter timeline with more than 150 passionate replies.

There was the classic Warriors problem: "Some people I have spoken with say that no matter how good (the Rockets are) doing, they won't beat the Warriors in the playoffs. Thus, devaluing their success and notoriety."

The obvious: "Because Houston will always be football-first, the Astros just won a World Series and we've seen great regular seasons out of the Rockets before."

The economical and social: "Houston is a very transit town. The big three industries are oil, medical and NASA, where people turn over about every seven years and then move. This is why we have so many fans from other cities."

I know this is a fact. The Rockets are big. But, right now, they should be much bigger.

It feels like the NBA nation is buying into Houston's pro basketball team more than the city.

The city also was forced to endure the human tragedy that was Game 6 against the Spurs last year, and has watched three seasons of at least 54 wins since 2013-14 peak with a 4-1 defeat to Golden State in the '15 Western Conference finals.

There's little talk-radio buzz. Unless the Rockets are hosting the superpower Warriors, the 4-12 Texans command more local attention. And I'm far from the only one who feels like it's going to take a strong conference finals run - taking Golden State to at least six games - for Houston to fully buy into and believe in its basketball team again.

The dormant Texans don't play until September. The Astros' first real game is more than two months away.

Will they add LeBron?

The Rockets are led by two expected Hall of Famers with worldwide names, have proved they are a regular-season threat to the Warriors and could be a perfect landing spot this summer for LeBron James.

Football city, baseball town, basketball _____ ?

"It is a fun team. It's going to be one of the most successful teams - regular-season wise, when the dust settles - in Rockets history," said Matt Thomas, who hosts a sports-talk show on 790 AM and serves as the Rockets' radio play-by-play/PA announcer. "If you can't enjoy that and you'd rather spend more time talking about backup linebackers and second-team offensive line and what the Texans are going to do with their fourth-round pick, then you'll never enjoy basketball, because this is as good as it gets right now."

Look, I understand the skepticism. Harden hasn't proved it in the playoffs. Mike D'Antoni and Paul haven't, either. Personally and professionally, I'll always be in wait-and-see mode for this team until it shows us something in the postseason.

Harden also is the leading candidate for the MVP this season. Paul has been everything that was promised and more. P.J. Tucker and Luc Mbah a Moute have added much-needed grit and glue. Clint Capela is rising. Gerald Green has a great back story and strong local ties. D'Antoni is as down to earth as they come and his team - deeper and playing more defense - gives Pop-A-Shot a new name.

Toyota Center also has a modern pulse and is in the heart of downtown. The team's last two owners have been fully invested and completely hands on. Morey has pursued the game's biggest stars - Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh - and the franchise hasn't had a losing season since 2005-06.

Was Game 6 really that bad?

Yes. It was.

"This whole notion of, 'Well, wait till the playoffs.' Why bother being a sports fan if all you're going to do is just wait for the playoffs?" Thomas said.

That's also true.

You constantly heard "No one cares about the Texans right now" as their 2017 season fell apart. But the season-ticket waiting list is 26,000 strong and NRG Stadium will roar again as soon as Deshaun Watson returns.

Did you wear orange in fall?

The Astros were horrible for years. But frustrated fans bought into an incredibly likable team the moment they became good again, then covered Houston in orange on the way to a World Series championship last fall.

These Rockets are Warriors-esque. But filling up Toyota Center for tipoff is a nightly challenge, and you know as well as I the local buzz isn't there yet.

Why?

We all have our ideas.

"Maybe this year will be different. But for the past 20 years, the Rockets have been occasionally good, never great. Don't ask me to explain the continued affection for the Texans."

"The NBA usually plays second, third fiddle in most major cities."

"The rest of this city does not speak for all. Rockets are my No. 1. And just wait for when LeBron shows up this summer."

"I'm trying to help. I have watched 99 percent of the games."