The NBA Houston Rockets and the Houston Rockets Championship year came in 1994. The 1994 NBA Finals saw Houston win in seven games over the upstart yet determined New York Knicks.
The Houston Rockets were crowned NBA Champions for that season and the City of Houston and the Houston Rockets organization called that season the dream come true!
Hakeem the Dream Olajuwon
The drive to the NBA Championship was lead by one of the most-outstanding NBA centers of all time, Hakeem the Dream Olajuwon.
The Dream was named the leagues Most Valuable Player (MVP), NBA Finals MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and All NBA First Team as the Houston Rockets earned their first professional sports championship ever in the City of Houston’s storied history.
Rockets Championship of 1994 Brought the City of Houston Together
The Houston Rockets Championship of 1994 really brought the City of Houston together and the whole of Texas and further increased the interest of the second most popular professional sport in the state, basketball.
Football is still king in the Lone Star State although basketball is now a very popular athletic activity and sporting events for fans to watch all cross the United States as well as the world. 15 years ago things were a bit different.
Any championship that came to a city that did not previously hold a championship in any athletic professional sports must be seen as one of the greatest feats of not just that team but the city as a whole.
The New York Knickerbockers and All-Star MVP John Starks
It was the battle between a smallish but fantastic lightning-quick guard out of NY and a giant of a center out of the continent of Africa and Houston that not only highlighted the entire NBA World Championship Finals but also were part of the final play in game number six that sealed the victory for the Houston Rockets in 1994.
While the Houston Rockets needed one more game to win it all there was a play during the previous game 6 that was to lead them to victory. The play involved John Starks taken the inbounds pass and dribbling a little past half-court and attempting to launch a game-winning three-pointer.
Houston We Do Not Have a Problem
With only a few ticks on the clock Starks three-point attempt that would have given the New York Knicks not only the game but a 4-2 series lead and the championship would have been said and done right there in New York, failed to fly. No one knows if Starks three-point attempt would’ve gone in or not yet what it can be said of the shot was that clutch players come through in clutch times.
That shot never got a chance to fly and prevented the entire Madison Square Garden Nick and Rocket fans from holding their collective breaths. Hakeem Olajuwon made certain of that with his timely Championship winning shot-block of John Starks attempt.
Entire Series is Considered one of Most Intensely PlayedGame seven, although not as climactic as the final few plays of game six, was truly a tough battle and a real championship game. The entire series is considered one of most intensely played in NBA history.
Every possession was precious and every shot contested while every loose ball was the subject of a frenetic scrub-like scramble for both professional team and their players.
Obviously with the size and strength of both front lines defense was a key factor and for the very first time since introduction of the shot clock in 1954 neither team reach 100 points in a game of a seven game playoff series. That’s attributable to great defense only especially on the professional level.
1994 Houston Rockets Brought Home the NBA World Championship to a Starving City
The 1994 Houston Rockets brought home the NBA World Championship to a city that was starving for a championship after decades of frustrations with the Houston Oilers and the Houston Astros.
The Houston Oilers would never bring a NFL world championship to the City of Houston yet there was some pretty close battles with the Pittsburgh Steelers and plenty of AFC Championships matches full of spills and chills.
Return from Houston Rockets Championship to Houston Rockets
Return from Houston Rockets Championship to Best Basketball Tips