OTD in 1994: Houston Rockets Won Franchise's 1st Championship

Michael Jordan’s first retirement sent shockwaves throughout the league. His Chicago Bulls had dominated the previous three years, winning championships in ’91, ’92, and ’93. All of a sudden, greats like David Robinson, Charles Barkley, and Reggie Miller had a chance to get their first rings. This window would be open for a short time, just two seasons, as Jordan would return in 1995. In that span, one team would rise above the rest, the Houston Rockets, who would overcome the West to reach the NBA Finals in 1994.

INTERESTING FACTS

Houston Rockets defeated the New York Knicks in Game 7 to win their 1st Championship in franchise history on June 22, 1994
Rockets completed their NBA Finals sweep of the Magic to become the 1st (and only) team to win it all as a non-top-4 seed
Ralph Sampson hit a GW-FG in the 1986 WCF with just 1 sec left to beat the Lakers and send HOU to the NBA Finals
Hakeem Olajuwon passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (3,190) as the NBA’s all-time BLK leader

MAIN SIGNIFICANCE

HAKEEM OLAJUWON AND THE HOUSTON ROCKETS WON THEIR FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP

Hakeem Olajuwon’s last trip to the NBA Finals occurred nearly a decade before his 1994 effort. He, along with Ralph Sampson, overcame Magic Johnson and the Showtime Lakers in the Conference Finals only to fall short against Larry Bird’s Celtics in six games. The road back was long and may have been fruitless had Jordan not retired, but at this time the NBA throne was up for grabs. The Rockets defeated Clyde Drexler’s Trail Blazers, Barkley’s Suns, and the Karl Malone–John Stockton Jazz to make their bid.

Awaiting Houston in the Finals were Patrick Ewing’s New York Knicks coached by all-time great Pat Riley. The Knicks had suffered the most from Michael Jordan’s presence, having been eliminated by the Bulls in each year of their first three-peat. They finally broke through an open East and battled with Houston to force a seven-game series. In the end, Olajuwon proved to be the better man. Houston would win the 1994 championship, and Hakeem became the first-ever internationally born Finals MVP. The Rockets would win consecutive championships with Jordan’s Bulls not at full strength, but haven’t been back to the Finals since.

BEST HIGHLIGHTS

Last moments of 1994 Finals

June 22, 1994: Houston #Rockets defeated the New York #Knicks in Game 7 to win their 1st Championship in franchise history behind Hakeem Olajuwon who became the 1st internationally born Finals MVP in NBA history
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— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) June 22, 2021