Would the Houston Rockets win back-to-back championships if Michael Jordan hadn’t retired in 1993?
When Michael Jordan announced his first retirement in October 1993, it sent shockwaves through the NBA. The league suddenly had a wide-open race for the championship. With MJ stepping away, the Bulls’ reign was over, and teams across the league saw their opportunity to claim the throne.
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8 Comments
'93-94: Rockets in 7. '94-95: With Grant now staying because of MJ, and Rodman added a year early (there's NO WAY Rodman stays on that Spurs team in '95, with MJ playing 2 full seasons), to a now stacked Bulls frontcourt. Even with the Drexler trade. The Bulls would've been too much to handle, defensively. Bulls win in 6.
I think Phil would've transitioned Grant to center. Had Kukoc and Rodman rotate from the 3-4, depending on matchups. Then, start MJ and Pip at the 1&2. That's a HUGE LINEUP…
No in 1994 Rockets would’ve lost to the Bulls. Rockets needed Starks do have an all time worse game 7 performance to beat the Knicks the same Knicks who needed controversy to beat Pippen Bulls in 7. Rockets have Hakeem but Bulls will send multiple bodies with 1994 all star Horace Grant phenomenal all defense and Cartwright or Luc at him. Rockets don’t have nearly enough to do deal with MJ & Pippen. Now In 1995 when Rockets were able to trade for Drexler that team id take over the Bulls who lost Horace and didn’t have Rodman yet.
Probably, Probably Not… who knows? What we do know is, they didn’t do it before MJ retired & they didn’t do it when he came back either… 😂 MJ came back after Houston 2nd championship & put that 3peat to rest while en route his 2nd 3peat..
1) The Rockets win one if not both times against the Bulls. They did go 5-1 against the Bulls in 91-93 and MJ did say that it was good that the Rockets couldn't get out of the west because they had no answer for Hakeem.
2) The real reason the Rockets won two titles was not because MJ retired, but Hakeem Olajuwon stayed with the Rockets because in the prior years, the relationship between him and the Rockets was pretty much fractured that he was on the verge of leaving. But one plane ride to Japan changed everything and Hakeem stayed. If Olajuwon leaves Houston, this debate never happens.
Im outting my money on a prime peak mj over hakeem and Drexler every time.
Look at what The Magic did to the Bulls in 1995 and you have your answer.
Just think if Magic Johnson in the season of 91 and 92 instead of having the HIV diagnosed, when it was just a virus, he would have never had to retire at least for another four to five years, Jordan would not have his first three peat
Just to put it into perspective. Hakeem second option (Drexler and Sampson) played just four seasons with Hakeem with at least 60 games. Bird, Lebron, Kareem all had superteams. Jordan had Pippen for a decade during their primes. Heck Drexler didn't join Hakeem until after being in the league for over a decade. I like how some will pretend Hakeem had Drexler since 1987 after Ralph got hurt.
You realize Scott and Worthy didn't even play the entire Finals in 1991. Which do you prefer? The 1986 Show Time Lakers or the 1991 Lakers when Scott and Worthy didn't even finish the series. Infact Isiah Thomas missed the most game of his career in 1991. The blazer wanted Drexler to skip the 1992 playoffs to have a knee surgery. Drexler insisted he play through it. Keep in mind this is the same finals Tex Winter pulled Jordan from a game six. Jordan literally played two injured team in the 1991 and 1992 finals. Plus he didn't play well against the Knicks in 1993. Even Jordan himself skipped over the 1993 Knicks in the last dance.
Did you see Jordan in 1996 Finals? You can debate Jordan was actually better in the 1995 playoffs. Luckily for Jordan Hakeem teammates missed almost 150 games in 1996. Plus they beat an injured Magic team in 1996. Who did they beat in the weak east during 1997? Didn't the Heat get bailed out vs the Knicks? Sure never heat heat fans admit this. Especially when they would lose to the Knicks without Patrick Ewing later on. What about the weak 1998 run in the east. The best you can say Is Reggie Miller and Smith. Cute.
Pippen amd Grant offense may have taken some time but their defense was noticeable right away. The bull coaches even admitted this is why they traded away Charles Oakley not long after getting Grant and Pippen. Plus they were second and third in minutes played starting their second year. Tex Winter was with the team since 1985 but they wouldn't run his play right. They ran it so every play ended with Jordan. This wasn't changed until Phil Jackson became head coach and let Tex do what he actually wanted to do.
Hey remember Jordan triple double run? I like how yall talk about the beginning of the run. It was closer to 0.500. Yet ever noticed nobody talks about the rest of that triple double run? It was good for Jordan, but not the team. They even had one of their biggest losing streak of the year during that time. Funny how this always get skipped.
They called three quick fouls on Ralph in the first five minutes of game one during the 1986 finals. Leaving Hakeem without Ralph for the rest of the half. Let that sink in. Hakeem didn't have his best point guard and Ralph for most of the first half in game one vs "the greatest team of all time". Game five and six are more examples of the refs letting Celtics use questionable dirty tactics. This is how the game five fight even started. Yet hey celtics fans want to pretend otherwise. The league were OK with Celtics resorting to dirty or questionable tactics. Pat Riley used the same tactics. They don't call the celtics "the original bad boys of the 80s" for no reason.
People give Lebron a hard time for a 8 pt finals game. When Bird has two 8 pt finals game. There's a reason bird didn't win every FMVP. Most people don't realize the celtics (during Bird era) don't have a winning record against Lakers, 76ers, and Pistons in the playoffs. Hey remember when Magic said the piston champ was weak because they didn't beat a healthy celtics team. Keep in mind rockets didn't have their best PG for the entire 1986 playoff run.
The Sonics "beat" Hakeem when Hakeem had injured or missing starters in the second half of rhe 80s. What about 1996 when Hakeem teammates missed almost 150 games. Funny how this always gets skipped. The best you can say is 1993 and even that one has doubt due to questionable calls by Dick Bavetta. Plus we saw the true version of the Sonics in 1994 and 1995. Yet hey let's pretend none of this happen.
Hey remember the Jazz clock incident vs the Rockets in 1994? What about the time Karl Malone had an illegal holding screen on Drexler to get John open in the first place in 1997. That's what you call karma Jazz fans. If Karl Malone didn't hold Drexler, Jordan didn't push off Russell.
Plus remember when the ref wrongfully ejected Drexler in 1995. Giving the sun the early series lead. Yet some were trying to say Hakeem was choking instead of talking about what actually happened. The refs obviously had it out for Drexler. Infact his calls were so bad they had to pull him from the series.
It was the same in the 1995 Finals. The refs kept bailing Shaq out. You can debate he should've fouled out in three of the four games. Including game one. Shaq shouldn't have been playing in the fourth quarter and overtime. The series should've ended sooner than it did. Considering they got swept. Yet hey Shaq and Penny rather blame it all on Nick Anderson. When Scott, Penny, and Shaw were the ones who blew the 20 point lead. Shaw is the only one who will admit this. Plus when they were building the early lead. Shaq made just one field goal in the first quarter of game one. This was also a top three seasons in shaq entire career. Yet hey Shaq fans want to pretend otherwise. Ever noticed they don't talk about Hakeem shooting a three in shaq face.