Clutch City: The Story Behind Hakeem's Rockets

In the decade of Michael Jordan's Bulls, they created a mini-dynasty of their own. With an all-time big man anchoring things in the middle and shooters around him, they were almost ahead of their time. They kept great teams in New York and Orlando from ever reaching the mountaintop while reminding us all to never underestimate the heart of a champion.
Written & Narrated by: Joseph Casciaro (@JosephCasciaro | Twitter)
Produced & Edited by: Andrew Bartlett (@andrewnsb | Instagram)
Thumbnail Design by: Justin Shipley (@shipleysportstudio | Instagram)
Courtesy List: pastebin.com/9SZhMTYs
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#houstonrockets #hakeemolajuwon #nba

[@joselorenzomuli5412]

To this day, The '95 Rockets still have the HARDEST road to win the NBA Championship. They defeated virtually FOUR 60-win teams en route to the NBA🏆 with NO homecourt advantage 🏀💯 It would've been awesome to see Hakeem's Rockets vs Jordan's Bulls in a 7-game series for the 🏆

[@doncee5066]

Better than the Mavs championship?

[@paquitocauli5229]

​@@doncee5066 i would say so. from 6th seed to championship? that's hard to beat.

[@doncee5066]

@@paquitocauli5229 not about the seeds it’s about the competition faced

[@markjackson6431]

whenever i heard Rudy T say “don’t ever underestimate the heart of a champion”, i can’t help but hear Clara Morris say “don’t ever?”

[@KWCline91]

That woman hardly knows anything about this. What was he was saying was you cannot overlook the Rockets at that time. So while yes, the Rockets didn’t win more titles afterwards, everyone took them seriously. Seattle made sure to bury them before the Rockets got hope and the Jazz made sure they didn’t go to a Game 7 because the Rockets were a tough team to eliminate.

[@markjackson6431]

@@KWCline91 yeah okay bro and you supposedly do. i’ll take the word of a sportswriter than some woman hating man. goodbye

[@damonsonnier34]

The story about Hakeem’s Rockets starts when it nearly ended when incompetent ownership was still calling the shots. Hakeem was annoyed, demanded for a trade, and almost left Houston.

[@KWCline91]

I always said that’s the reason why Hakeem won those two titles and it had nothing to do with MJ’s retirement because the Rockets did have success against them. But if Hakeem gets traded, none of this happens.

[@hectorlopez1069]

Of course, people still say olajuwon won those two titles is because Jordan was gone.​@@KWCline91

[@nbapbaupdate8338]

Imagine Houston with Hakeem Olajuwon vs. Bulls with Michael Jordan in Finals INSANE MATCH UP

[@hectorlopez1069]

It certainly goes to game 7, but we will never find out who would win.

[@nbapbaupdate8338]

@@hectorlopez1069 agree 💯

[@manzac112]

Probably the only team that Chicago feared at times. I wish we got an NBA finals with those two teams at their best.

[@lilpenny1982]

When the Bulls were contending in the late 1980's and winning their 6 chips in the 1990's, the Rockets never got close to winning the WCF to meet the Bulls in the NBA Finals.

[@JamesHardenoverKobe]

​@@lilpenny1982 Jordan couldn't beat Hakeem in Houston for around eight years. Let that sink in. Plus this was during Jordan absolute prime. Had Hakeem lost in Chicago for eight years during his prime Jordan fans would talk about this..Yet since it's the other way around most Jordan fans had forgotten this or refused to talk about this.

[@JamesHardenoverKobe]

​@@lilpenny1982 Plus I like how some want to play "what if this and what if that". Example. "What if Dennis" yet fails to mention Hakeem defeated both Dennis Rodman and David Robinson combined.

[@JamesHardenoverKobe]

​@@lilpenny1982 Jazz fans talk about Jordan no call push off in 1997. Yet fail to mention Karl Malone's illegal holding screen on Drexler that got John Stockton open in the first place. If karl didn't hold then Jordan didn't push off. That's what you call karma Jazz fans. The Bulls got lucky in 1993, 1996, and 1997. 1993 when the Refs robbed Hakeem in the playoffs. 1996 when Hakeem teammates missed almost 150 games, and 1997 when Karl Malone got away with the illegal holding screen to get John open on the last play.

[@JamesHardenoverKobe]

​@@lilpenny1982 Hey remember the clock incident in 1994? Jazz fans time keeper tried to cheat for the Jazz and gave them extra time they weren't supposed to have... and still lost. Talk about "home court advantage".

[@withalittlehelpfrom3]

This is great and all, but… where’s the footage of Kenny getting Hakeem some water?

[@hectorlopez1069]

Hakeem didn't drink water when he was fasting during Ramadan. He wouldn't drink water during games.

[@withalittlehelpfrom3]

@@hectorlopez1069 he’d be allowed to start drinking water at sundown. So of course Kenny would bring it to him the moment the sun set

[@josiahmarr6059]

Phenomenal videos, I truly enjoy your storytelling skills!

[@ShemarCedrick]

The Story about this team is good

[@paulrash8861]

Calvin Murphy..thats a beast, cassell had a dome like a pinto bean, but he was a bad man

[@thephantommarauder7748]

Please do the story behind Drob and Moses Malone they both deserve some attention.

[@thephantommarauder7748]

The idea that Jordan would have taken down Hakeem is a reach at least in 95' the Forward and Center position for the Bulls was dire they got exposed in the 95 playoffs with MJ averaging 30+ ppg in that series. It was never about rust from MJ they simply cannot do much with their lack of center depth and the dominance of Shaq this unfortunate mark on Hakeem legacy is not justified and quite frankly unfair.

[@lilpenny1982]

If Jordan didn't temporary retire in the mid 1990's, Horace Grant wouldn't have left in 1995. I still think the Bulls would've won against the Rockets but MJ, Pip and Grant would've double-teamed Hakeem (guarded by Longley) fast and Hakeem would have been forced to pass the ball. But because how quick MJ, Pip and Grant were, they would've gotten back to their opponents after Hakeem would pass the ball out of the post or if not steal the ball, especially if the Black Cat would be hovering on the weak side.

[@thephantommarauder7748]

​@@lilpenny1982The main reason I bring it up is to criticize people for saying if this or if that. That's quite frankly irrelevant I can make the argument that if this guy wasn't injured on the 2015 Cavs or 2021 Nets they would have won, what if KG got drafted to a better franchise. Tarnishing a player's legacy for hypotheticals is not fair. The fact is Jordan retired; Hakeem has one of the greatest rings ever won the 1995 ring is more impressive than anything KD did with the Warriors. It shouldn't have an effect on Hakeems legacy regardless of if Jordan would have beat him or not.

[@ayoaight]

The Bulls didn’t have an answer for Hakeem during their first 3-peat. 1-5 in the regular season

[@hectorlopez1069]

Maybe Hakeem gets 1 title from Jordan, but not the second title. Yes, Olajuwon did very good vs Jordan bulls in the early 90s.

[@nbapbaupdate8338]

Rise or another Fall for Charlotte Hornets new owner now, your next video theScore 💪💪💪

[@RudieObias]

A lot of people like to conveniently forget that MJ was knocked out by the Magic in ‘95…

[@Matt-cr4vv]

That’s true but I think it’s universally recognized as a halfway feat. They knocked out an MJ who’d been gone from the league playing bseball not training for the NBA. That wasn’t a full strength MJ and everybody knows that. And the following season when he had an offseason and full season they swept that team.

[@RudieObias]

@@Matt-cr4vv I dunno, all of hearing is excuses. The fact of the matter is those Chicago Bulls teams with MJ were knocked out by the Orlando Magic. You can't argue with facts

[@hectorlopez1069]

​@@Matt-cr4vvand Jordan played 17 games when he came back.

[@hakeemolajuwon4352]

Olajuwon won a Finals with his next leading scorer avg 13ppg on 36% FG, his two PG's combined averaging less PPG than just Derek Harper himself, and he held Ewing from 24ppg regular season to 19ppg on 36% FG!

[@hectorlopez1069]

When Houston missed the playoffs in 1992, Olajuwon demanded a trade, but thank goodness, Hakeem had a good deal to stay in Houston.

[@hectorlopez1069]

I think if jordan stays and didn't retired, the NBA Finals splits between them. Olajuwon gets 1 ring from Jordan and Jordan gets one ring from Olajuwon.

[@waynerias8396]

lakers next

[@ernieestrada193]

🤠🇨🇱🤘🏆🏆

[@damonsonnier34]

If Hakeem had left Houston during the 1992 offseason, where would have he gone? Would have he gone to Phoenix to add size to the Suns roster? If this would have been the case, then where does Charles Barkley go? Would have he gone to Portland to reunite with his college teammate Clyde Drexler?

[@lilpenny1982]

Hakeem to the Suns would have been a better version of the 1993 Suns. This team might have beaten the Bulls in 1993 but I still think that MJ pulls it out in Game 7. I just don't think MJ can be beaten in a playoff series at that time because he would will his team to victory both offensively and defensively.

[@damonsonnier34]

@@lilpenny1982 Do you think that the Suns would make the Finals in 1994 vs the Knicks or 95 vs the Magic if they had Hakeem? Do you think the Suns could beat teams such as the Sonics, Spurs, and Jazz in the West? Where do you think Charles Barkley goes if he does not go to Phoenix?

[@lilpenny1982]

@@damonsonnier34 If Suns had Hakeem, I think they beat Knicks in 5 and sweep the Magic again but lose to the Bulls in 6 in 1996

[@lilpenny1982]

@damonsonnier34 I think Barkley would've gone to the Lakers for AC Green, B Scott and Elden Campbell

[@damonsonnier34]

@@lilpenny1982 Just think of a Lakers team with Charles Barkley, Nick Van Exel, Anthony Peeler, Jerome Kersey, and Vlade Divac. Does this mean that the Shaq and Kobe duo never exists in LA?

[@layuponthedownlow]

Olajuwon 🚀 rockets should of been the NBA champions in '93, but NBA rigged the series between rockets and sonics in the '93 west semis.

[@MikeyRumi180]

Jordan played in 1995 and Orlando BEAT them. Houston would have won the finals that year. enough said.

[@hectorlopez1069]

Because Jordan only played 17 games, he didn't play the full season.

[@jonathanwstx]

Twin towers = the Duncan and Robinson Spurs.

[@JamesHardenoverKobe]

Hakeem and Ralph Sampson are the original twin towers. Plus they were better.