Houston, Sep 28 (IANS): Dwight Howard, who recently signed a four-year deal worth about $88 million with the Houston Rockets, said the only to matter this season was the NBA basketball championship.

A star-studded Rockets team met the press Friday in Houston's Toyota Center, talking about their ambitions of winning the championship this season, reports Xinhua.

"Seeds don't matter. We want a championship. It's the only thing that matters," said Howard.

Rockets general manager Daryl Morey echoed his thoughts.

Morey believed pairing Howard with James Harden gives Houston its best chance to win the NBA title since the team featured Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming.

"We have two top-10 players in the league," Morey said, referring to Howard and Harden.

"They have to continue to prove that, but both of them have played at extremely high levels. In the league you've got to have at least one and it's great to have two like we have now playing at an elite level. Then you have guys who can play a role and play it well around them."

"We have all the right pieces," said Harden, whose arrival last October via trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder started this whole Rockets renaissance.

"We have a lot of talent in that locker room. We have no more excuses. We're just trying build on what we did last season."