How the Rockets turned back-to-back champions into a bunch of fed-up, beat-up, washed-up stars

From Choke City to Clutch City, the Houston Rocket of the mid-nineties were so cool. They took the '94 title and everyone was like "that's just cuz Jordan switched sports!" So, they clawed their way up from the 6th seed to win it all again in 1995.
The only trouble? When you rise so high, you have farther to fall.
A short-sighted desire to capitalize on aging stars quickly (that'd be Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler), and worry about the future later, led to injuries decimating seasons (poor Charles Barkley), backcourt weakness (prob shouldn't have traded away Sam Cassell), bruised egos (looking at you Scottie Pippen) and the end of an era. The Clutch City Rockets couldn't last forever.
Written and produced by: Clara Morris
Directed and edited by: Jiazhen Zhang
Motion graphics by: Mike Das
Enter the Secret Base: www.sbnation.com/secret-base
Follow us on Twitter: / secretbase
Check out our full video catalog: goo.gl/9pMHRV
Visit our playlists: goo.gl/NvpZFF
Explore SB Nation: www.sbnation.com

[@TheSheepling]

"They rebuffed the name Choke City and instead became..." Me, reading what's on screen: Title Town "...Clutch City." Me: oh

[@fruitbythefoote]

Didn’t Detroit claim the name “Title Town” for the success of the Red Wings?

[@stepheneverett5128]

@@fruitbythefoote nah thats Hockeytown

[@tombstonejones9581]

@@fruitbythefoote title town is GSW

[@cashprod.6849]

@@tombstonejones9581 there’s is dub nation

[@ManiaxOnYTZeus]

Isn't Green Bay title town? I mean not now but during Lombardis time they were considered Title Town

[@Tinil0]

Great to see Kenny Smith, Barkley, and Shaq all in the same episode.

[@primofiamma7344]

No EJ though.

[@lewiswilliams1893]

Eddie Johnson!

[@ineveryuniverse3953]

No, Ernie Johnson

[@knyneskredd3964]

No Ernie

[@piinncchh]

Earvin Johnson!

[@harrisonlee9585]

Beef History: Cal McNair vs. A functional franchise

[@DaHolyGoat1]

I'm not a Texan fan but this should be top comment on this thread.

[@JWex-jy7sk]

Beef History: Bill O'Brien vs smart trades

[@dirtybaystrangler]

The whole McNair family versus a functional franchise. His Dad stunk too, though the sons odor is more putrid.

[@wazzup233]

Another beef history: Serena Williams vs the Umpires

[@ryanrazo]

Early 2000s Rockets: *Picks up TMac & Yao* Injuries: "Bonjour."

[@777DonMakaveli777]

they choked away 2-0 series leads in 2 different playoff series', quit blaming injuries for everything. Tmac choked

[@ryanrazo]

@@777DonMakaveli777 I have yet to read the part on my comment above that says: "Rockets lost playoffs series due to Yao & TMac's injuries."

[@almadinjohnchristophers.9014]

@@ryanrazo but when Raptors won, they never said Curry choked....injuries was there Well, just saying if he thinks TMac choked

[@davecartmill5086]

Reggie Miller Untitled!

[@DXCkatana]

Pain.

[@GrownUpKid94]

BCUZ HE SUCKS GO BULLS

[@redwarrior118]

That's gonna be a great one

[@Frigidevil]

11:24 but you know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men... They're stupid Clara dropping the truth bombs

[@emiliozworld5032]

Yes

[@markula_4040]

Damn Houston, all you had to do was get back to the Finals in '96. The back to back defending champs versus the previous 3-peat champs with Jordan back full time could have been epic.

[@michaprostko-prostynski520]

Dumbass Rockets GM didnt bring any power forward to the table.

[@1D4ever]

How they got whooped by Kemp and the Sonics like they did basically every year

[@ihooptvchannel521]

They felt the loss of otis Thorpe the most that year

[@meekmeads]

@@ihooptvchannel521 Who was never mentioned once in this video! Where the hell is Seth anyways?!

[@NoName-jb4tl]

96 Sonics were incredible strong.

[@arvind01612840261]

Collapse: The 1992 Cavs, The 1996 Sonics, The 2000 Blazers and The 2010 Suns.

[@juniorlovell2833]

Sonics would be better than this bs choice on paper it made sense but injuries and system was the contributing factor 😉

[@frankiewashere_]

That would be fire

[@Flamingbro69]

Honestly, even though the numerous recoveries for the Lakers, I’d like to see a video on the Collapse of the Lakers from 2004-2007

[@DJThrillerKN]

@@Flamingbro69 but that wasn’t a real collapse tho. Yea they weren’t the same, but they only missed he playoffs once. They were just stuck in the middle of the pack in the western conference with Kobe shooting out their games. If they traded a few other people and they went it like the worst team in the NBA, then that’s different

[@emo_LeBron]

will never forget goran dragić laying the smacketh down on the spurs

[@aakashbadree5617]

The rockets really fell apart three times in 20 years. Olajuwon/Drexler/Barkley - 1996-2000, Tmac/Yao/Mutombo - 2004-2010, Harden/Howard/CP3/Westbrook - 2013-2020

[@phreak811]

I was going to say TECHNICALLY you could collapse this all the way to present day as they still don't have a title since 95. Kinda like they said about the Knicks collapse. A continual cycle of hope and let down.

[@asnark7115]

Getting Barkley WAS falling apart when you rely on an inside-outside motion and 3-ball game. We'd have weathered it for 2-3 years if we had kept Horry.

[@Nami]

And spent that entire time winning the second most games in the NBA behind only the San Antonio Spurs. The Rockets win a lot more than they don't and most teams go through much longer rebuilding processes than they do.

[@msl5253]

@Aakash Don't forget about 86-91+ after the demolition of the Twin Towers; Drug Suspensions; bad trades (Joe Barely Cares, Sleepy Floyd, etc.), and poor draft choices. They left Hakeem on an Island, so he went nuttin (as he did in 86) playing great in playoffs those years, and no one noticed cause they couldn't get out the West, sometimes the first round due to how much poor talent they had. That was almost a decade wasted by Dream by the time he made the finals in 94. . If that team would have stayed intact/and did great trades for Sampson at the time. Olajuwon would have had 2-6 champion ships by 1994.

[@jasons6604]

@@Nami 0 chips

[@adambrooks5357]

That was definitely more of a bearhug than a pick

[@imightbebiased9311]

Watch some of those close Celtics/Bulls battles. Some of those picks to set up game-winning shots are like, full 2-hand shoves.

[@eddixon2015]

Refs always swallow their whistles at the end of games. As long as it's not blatant it'll probably be allowed. And that transcends to all levels of the game. When I played in high school, if it ever came down to the last possession, our coach told us: "if the ref is looking at you be smart, but you can still get away with most things, if the ref isn't looking at you, do whatever you want."

[@Blue1479758]

@@eddixon2015 okay and that was blatant. It's that approach that can ruin a great game that was played differently all the way up until the end. All of a sudden the last few seconds we're watching the WWE. Thankfully they've started to get away from that approach the past few years. Especially in college which makes college all that much more enjoyable

[@jlobiafra]

Yes it was. Refs robbed us of a great game 7, chances are Utah would of won though

[@zlinedavid]

Welcome to the 1990s NBA. The paint was a war zone back then. Power forwards really put the emphasis on "power". Charles Oakley, Dale Davis, Antonio Davis, Shawn Kemp, Malone, Rodman. The centers were just as physical: Robinson, Ewing, Shaq, Mutombo, Mourning....hell, Hakeem was a borderline "finesse" center back then and he could mix it up with the best of them.

[@Schracid]

45 wins and still no playoffs? Damn, that west conferece was tight.

[@imightbebiased9311]

The West is just stacked. Not counting last year, when they didn't play a full 82, going back to 09-10, 45 games wasn't enough to get you in more than half the time. And in 09-10, you needed a 50-win season to punch your ticket. Part of it has to do with teams who were tanking just giving up free Ws, but the West has been the stacked conference for a looooong time.

[@barryswigart1432]

Read the western playoff rosters of the late 90s and 00s. Theyre absurd.

[@ShengYu1995]

48 wins and no playoffs for the 2008 Warriors

[@bryanttisdale2446]

50 wins usually gets u in.....The Washington Bullets/ Wizards haven't seen 50 wins since 1979!!!!!!!!!😵🤯😨

[@barryswigart1432]

@@bryanttisdale2446 and they've made the playoffs 16 times in that span.

[@caryrodda]

I hope people remember Hakeem for how dominant he was in his prime, not after he got banged up. He was unstoppable in those championship years.

[@melvynsngltn27]

Too bad he wasn't unstoppable his other 16 seasons

[@bruceperkins7253]

Yep he was unstoppable, considering that he only started playin at UH so he was a freak in that it was all Natural ability

[@somregularguy]

@@melvynsngltn27he was for the most part, just never had the supporting cast his peers did, if he had a good team he would taken some rings from MJ

[@John3.36]

Yeh he went to the Finals in 86' only to fall to the Celtics.

[@thepubknight6144]

​@@somregularguy hakeem was a huge generational center...dude had handles and was fast as a wing guard...we see lots of fast hybrid centers due to his influence like dirk, jokic embiid etc in fact dirk constantly said hakeem was his idol growing up in germany

[@12packersfan]

When I read the title I thought it was referring to the current Rockets team... minus the back to back champions part. The modern day Rockets definitely deserve their own video

[@rashadpenny826]

I agree and so does Aaron Rodgers a detailed video explaining how shitty he is in the playoffs LOL

[@MrJusticeShannon]

@@rashadpenny826 Aaron Rodgers is mathematically good in the playoffs lol. His defenses on the other hand....

[@DP-kn4tb]

They have to officially collapse first. Like they might still make the playoffs this year.

[@jdm2339]

Ehhh.... I'm from Houston and trust me, I think that would be unwarranted. A very short peak, coupled with no real tangible success other than regular a buncha season wins. This team didn't do anything in the postseason - they made the WCF a couple of times... big deal. They shouldn't have even been there in 2015 imo. Weren't serious championship contenders in anyone's mind until about 2018 (The Cp3 season) and we all know how quickly those championship aspirations disappeared. No finals appearances - not a true collapse. Plus someone made a good point that they're still in playoff contention this season (for now).

[@raulito1384]

@@jdm2339 "how quickly those championship aspirations disappeared" they were up 3-2 on the KD warriors before CP3 went down

[@bdpdaily3032]

Collpase Series idea 1. Derrick Rose's bulls 2. The 2012 Detroit Tigers 3. 1999 Denver Broncos 4. Sacksonville Jaguars one quarter away from the superbowl to worst team in the nfl in three years(2018) 5. The 2011 Texas Rangers(lost back to back world series)

[@sethduval5405]

@@chriswolf1089 Im pretty sure he means the Detroit tigers you know the baseball team

[@WhydTheyChangeOurNames]

The Bulls one can be summed up with "They couldn't beat LeBron" LeBron bounced them out every time and then of course Rose got hurt and that's all she wrote. Noah was never more than a pretty good Center (yes, I know Bulls stans that he was in award competition but I'm talking consistent All Star numbers to be considered good) and other than Rose they just never had the pieces to match up to LeBron or Boston or the Heat. You could maybe make a video if they made a Finals run but they didn't soooo it's pretty cut and dry why they fell apart.

[@ShengYu1995]

Rose's Bulls never really accomplished anything noteworthy except a #1 seed and ECF. Those Tigers teams seem intriguing but we all know its because no bullpen. 1999 Broncos wouldnt be interesting because its mainly due to no QB and Davis got hurt. Jaguars were basically a fluke team in 2018 so even though they were a quarter away from SB, they just happen to win 2-3 games after going 10-6 and everyone knew they couldnt maintain. Those Rangers team seem intriguing as well.. So only 2 out of 5 items on ur list is worthwhile doing. But its hard to do for baseball since baseball is more of a crapshoot once you are in the playoffs to begin with. The worst team can beat the best team in any given series.

[@zrelefor]

Other ideas - 2015 Denver Broncos 2015 Kansas City Royals 2014 San Francisco Giants 2005 Chicago White Sox 2008 Philadelphia Phillies 2006 Chicago Bears

[@lucasbell4831]

Andrew McCutchen's Pirates?

[@gguddaye1]

"The Rockets love aging stars that are hungry for their first ring" Relevant

[@daledan-irabor3018]

Imagine being ravaged by injuries, partly because of age, but then you keep making front-office moves to get older! 😂😂😅

[@mrsinister8943]

They were trying to recapture that magic. At least they kept trying to win now and make moves. Utah was exceptionally good and time had caught up to Houston. I think they did just about as well as they could of but their window had closed.

[@chefcurryj8469]

2022 Lakers have entered the chat

[@nonamewillbegiven]

@@mrsinister8943 they were the same age though

[@jonathanwashington9199]

Steve Francis: Damn And Here I Thought That I Wasn't Going Nuts Hearing That SMDH Houston You Proven Me To Be Correct How Did That Happen

[@samortmann5003]

Haven't Houston sports fans been through enough recently?

[@O_C293]

It all started when our guys cheated in 2017 lol we're still paying for it

[@MikeJr9284]

@@O_C293 Houston sports haven’t been the same ever since the Astros got exposed for cheating.

[@scizorXX]

Unfortunately, the rest of Houston sports have to pay for the Astros sins

[@thedude3065]

no

[@thekidfromcleveland3944]

The succubus is just getting started

[@yjl7237]

Still salty about the illegal screen Malone got away with... he was hugging Drexler just like he hugs those kids lmao 😂

[@avikrishna5029]

AYYYYYYYYYY CHILLLLLL

[@jpcote7003]

@ YJL. He doesn’t hug his kids at all. Very cold and rude to his daughter. I don’t know if he has more kids besides her. He never showed up to her WNBA basketball games when he retired, and not Even the finals when they won, right after he retired as a Laker in ‘04. I used to work with his nephew who was unfortunately ashamed that he was his uncle. Anyways, he was an amazing player though.

[@nunocruz2360]

Yooo chillll 💀💀💀💀💀

[@okodo7103]

Yoooo you outta pocket for that 😭😭

[@YoyoF37]

@@jpcote7003 Yeah you didn't get it

[@eamendoza057]

As a native Houstonian, this one hurts. But thank you for making it. I was in HS when the Rockets had their championship window. I loved that 94/95 team and that era of Rockets basketball. It was perhaps the best era in Houston sports since Luv Ya Blue. The city doesn't have much of championship pedigree like an LA or Boston. But this was a tough blue collar team that embodied the Houston spirit. I always wondered what would have happened if the Rockets didn't trade their young talent for Barkely, but tried to add other young pieces like SA always did with Duncan.

[@Mr_Jish]

Super insightful and I absolutely agree with everything you said. Always a strong bit of "what if" for the late 90s; I'm just glad Cassell ha still continued to find some success as it relates to basketball. I was hoping they'd bring him in to replace Mike D and bring on Mad Max as one of his assistants (or at least have him as their social media director 🤣)

[@thewoodchipperr]

Remember when OJ happened during the playoffs that year??

[@danielblock6876]

I knew it hurt so much but I haven't rooted for none of the houston teams since last year! Dont have to ask more!

[@AQUAPHREESH193]

I wish y’all still had those Oilers forreal 😿😿😂

[@bolebole5793]

San Antonio got lucky. David Robinson aas injured and missed a whole season. The Spurs went from a first place team to bottom tier team and they won the draft lottery. They used the pick to draft Tim Duncan.

[@CYMotorsport]

One of the best you’ve written Ciara! Superb.

[@Aryeh487]

I think it's Clara

[@TheTrainFan9]

@@Aryeh487 Actually, it's spelled Qlara.

[@pzooka]

What happened to all the comments. Is this simp nations doing?

[@pzooka]

Well either CYMotorsport supports censorship or Secret Base does

[@pzooka]

@@Aryeh487 what do you think about what happened?

[@JoelCastro5206]

The new age rockets are gonna need one of these too

[@jacksonmare683]

And it all started with CP3 injury

[@raulito1384]

@@jacksonmare683 pain

[@joaquinmoreno4857]

Rockets just need another big man

[@WhydTheyChangeOurNames]

Too*

[@joshuasimilien3844]

@@joaquinmoreno4857 totally different team now

[@shawncharles6077]

Possibly one of my top 5 shows to drop on KZbin. Even when sports I don't like are covered I watch these. Salute.

[@plaguedoctor5889]

Still insane that the Rockets were the most injury-riddled team in NBA History. Even after this the Ming-McGrady era one of them was always injured. Game 6-7 of the 2018 WCF CP3 was out. Rockets seem to never catch a break with them

[@arnar5079]

Prob would’ve won if they didn’t miss 27 threes in a row even with cps injury

[@cjvaye99]

andy hoops an nba youtuber did a video a few years ago about players whose careers were cut short due to injuries and no joke over half that list was rockets players

[@asnark7115]

That was predictable and predicted. I said as much a hundred times back in the day. Ming and McGrady were both slow and flat-footed; which typically equals injury. I remember reading an article in the Houston Chronicle soon after the T-Mac era that discussed his problems touching his toes and flexibility. That's death to a pro athlete in a ballistic sport. Ditto with Barkley. Adding to that, with two slow guys on the court like T-Mac and Yao, the other three players would have to work themselves to death to get anything done. And they did.

[@meekmeads]

Yao and T-mac alone made the bulk of that. sadly.

[@asnark7115]

@@arnar5079 You're not wrong.

[@ethanjobson3879]

It’s a shame we never got to see an MJ Bulls vs Hakeem Rockets NBA Finals.

[@RobertJW]

Damn, that would have been spicy.

[@leowijaya2324]

Hakeem will get 3peat if they go to 96 Finals

[@markjones952]

Basketball is my favorite sport. I like the way they dribble up and down the court.

[@hostiletoxictomdowneyburne6469]

"Don't ever underestimate the heart of a champion." Jordan: "and I took that personally."

[@leowijaya2324]

Jordan still fear Hakeem

[@DanTheGreat]

Maybe is was Hakeem that feared Mike. Mike waited for them in the final but they never showed up again.

[@amostlyreasonableguy]

@Fries it would have been cool as it was pretty much Hakeem’s last hurrah and he didn’t do as well after 96-97. He had slowed down a bit but was still a force. I would still take the Bulls in 6 though.

[@nonamewillbegiven]

@Fries beat the Ewing Knicks, Daugherty Cavs, Mutombo Hawks, Mourning Heat and Hornets. Nice try

[@ChrisM07]

@@nonamewillbegiven Those were low post power players (Ewing had some skill but his style was mostly powering his way inside as well) the Bulls usually knew how to guard them effectively. Much different story going up against a skilled post player.

[@MichaelMartin-qe5ye]

I did not remember that the Steve Francis/Hakeem-Barkley eras had a slight overlap.

[@silversoulken]

I only ever did bc of the first NBA Street since they were on the same teams on the PS2 version. The GameCube version updated and put Hakeem on Toronto.

[@Doknot-tb9ey]

Probably because it was only for one season.

[@jonathanwashington9199]

@@silversoulken Plus Jordan Was An Wizard On The GameCube Version Whereas On The PS2 Version He's Available From The Start

[@flapjack3817]

This one of the greatest basketball channels on KZbin 🦋❤️

[@natethegreat2408]

Correction: One of the best sports channels on KZbin

[@Tanaglias]

@@natethegreat2408 correction: greatest channel on youtube

[@pzooka]

@@natethegreat2408 Most of their views come through their NBA videos

[@captainspirou]

I remember that Barkley trade. I knew they destroyed the core of the team

[@asnark7115]

Yep. Hakeem was still Hakeem, but Horry made the game plan function. No other swingman could elevate to stop him, and no 4 or 3 could stay with him near the perimeter.

[@jonathanwashington9199]

Hakeem Olajuwon Did His Thing As Hakeem Olajuwon Usually Does

[@tj5180]

Losing maxwell was the 1st flag also trading their core pieces for barkley which I dont blame houston for doing since they were trying to compete for the title and make their ceiling better

[@McDuffin]

“You know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men...” by far my favorite line of this episode. Well done.

[@lO_-_Ol]

They should do a reverse Collapse and look at teams (from all sports) that went from terrible to great and look at how they go there.

[@meekmeads]

And Seth should always host them! Clara didn't even mention Otis Thorpe once in this video!

[@meharinationsportspodcast2582]

The Sonics of the 90s deserves an episode considering how that team fell apart after the 96 season.

[@arizonaFIREent]

They were good in 2005

[@ElectricCool]

98 was the last good season (05 was an anomaly)

[@SmoothCriminal12]

Kemp and George Karl forced themselves out for more money, Vin Baker was an alcoholic and they failed to supplement the roster around Gary Payton and got lucky Milwaukee was idiotic enough to give them Ray Allen for Payton.

[@tj5180]

They did have moments where they underachieved losing to the nuggets and the lakers in 1995. But 1996 was their chance and almost coming back from a 0-3 lead vs Chicago. Outcome would've been different If nate mcmillian had played and karl had earlier put Payton on Jordan

[@carlogambino8752]

The 95 Rockets should send a Thank You Card annually to Charles Barkley for missing 3 of 4 free throws down the stretch in regulation, overall 1-6 from the free throw line, while scoring only 3 points in the 2nd half and overtime in Game 5 of the WCSF. The Kiss of Death should be a footnote, because the Suns lost that series in Game 5, not Game 7.

[@dustinwilson1449]

Barkley always missed FT's in the clutch

[@jjleblanc8151]

This one is great, really examines how to much veteran experience isn’t necessarily a good thing, there needs to be and equal balance between young and old players to win a championship

[@zlinedavid]

You also need the right combination of veteran players. Adding Barkley didn't ultimately work, but I could see the logic behind it. I knew from the start that the combination of Hakeem, Barkley and Pippen wasn't going to work.

[@awaishafeez9027]

Rockets end every downfall with that roach mentality. After the 90s they got Yao, after the 2000s they got harden, after the 2010s they got Christian Wood. The roach keeps coming back.

[@tempest20000]

It’s amazing to me how many “Collapses” Sam Cassell was part of. First the Rockets, then the Bucks (can’t wait for that Collapse episode) and then the Timberwolves. Very unfortunate.

[@GameTime-yj6qv]

Very interesting career for Cassell. He won titles in the first two years of his career with the Rockets, then won a title the last year he played in his career with the Celtics.

[@connorwoods6618]

As a Rockets fan, the ending of this one got me emotional.

[@LeeGHThomas]

Except we know how the rest of the story goes. Yao is drafted, rockets ascend and ultimately fizzled out like the challenger because of injury… and one more time in the James Harden era for good measure.

[@SchmidtyProductions27]

@@LeeGHThomas we’ll probably do that with Green and whoever we pick up in the draft next year as well

[@calebdziepak2950]

A potential suggestion for a future collapse video: "How Jeff Fisher took the Tennessee Titans from 1 yard short of a Super Bowl victory to prolonged mediocrity and underachieving."

[@cjvaye99]

I never followed the NFL that closely and not at all since 2015 but I dont understand how that guy kept a job that long. he had so many sessions 8-8, 8-8, 8-8 just over and over again and he just kept coaching lmao

[@mongoslade277]

20 years as a head coach and only 3 seasons with 10 or more wins

[@Gungho73]

@@cjvaye99He was one of those coaches where his ability to coach ebbed and flowed wildly. He was willing to get risky with special teams in ways others werent in order to win games which showed how good/bold of a coach he could be, and seemed to dig talented players up out of nowhere and made do with some bad overall rosters, but he'd also get pasted by teams at times that weren't his superior in talent and it could be argued only as getting outcoached. He could bring an organization to a level of competitiveness, but couldn't take the next step. He is the argument against accepting your team being good as good enough. He hung around like his teams hung around.

[@thedreamhouston6057]

Aye, at least we got Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady, Steve Francis and very good players after. Hakeem Olajuwon will always be in our hearts in Houston.

[@wallacepemberton932]

Not just in Houston, in the heart of most bball fans that saw him prove he was the best center in a era of great centers.

[@WhydTheyChangeOurNames]

"Malone's pick" as depicted by him walking around from the top of the key out past the arc while holding a defender. Seriously I know replay wasn't as big back then and everything but how was that not called for an Illegal Screen?

[@silentstorm5439]

it was a different ballgame back in the 90's they were wayy more physical

[@chaitanyamurali9237]

@@silentstorm5439 I mean, physical is one thing. Malone's one step away from lifting Drexler off the ground and carrying him to the bench.

[@donttalkaboutmymomsyo]

I know why refs swallow their whistles in crunch time but that one was just atrocious,that wasn't a screen that was the A train heading for harlem judging by the distance malone carried drexler

[@fullweezy3553]

Y'all didn't mention Otis Thorpe he was traded to get clyde drexler he was a key piece of the first championship team

[@pzooka]

You didn’t read the title of the video. This entire narrative is based after their championships. And Thorpe wasn’t on the second championship roster so their was no need to bring him up, that’s why Clyde Drexler was only briefly mentioned

[@ChrisM07]

@@pzooka They didn't even show a pic of Thorpe at the beginning of the vid while there was one of everyone else (including Maxwell) which is what I think the OP is referring to.

[@nonamewillbegiven8228]

@@ChrisM07 no one cares

[@ChrisM07]

@@nonamewillbegiven8228 Was I even talking to you idiot?

[@nonamewillbegiven8228]

@@ChrisM07 dont care i/diot

[@chuyelregio5]

I felt that ending like a punch straight to the feels.. me and the fam had just moved to Houston from Mexico and it was a delight watching the 🚀 win their back to back championships.. what an era 👏

[@mattatack2the25]

This is one of the best episodes. The writing and dramatization worked excellently. Fantastic work with this episode.

[@morrisbetesh9024]

This is by far the best series on this channel. Please do more collapses!

[@abdullah82m]

This video made me want to watch one on Stevie Franchise. That career fizzled out so fast, and right at the time the hand checking rule change favored guards. Anyone who says Steve Nash won those MVPs because of the rule change gotta explain why Steve Francis was out of the league at the same time

[@cjvaye99]

andy hoops did a good video on him I recommend watching that

[@rdtworld9720]

Because Francis had 1/10th the heart Nash had

[@jonathanwashington9199]

In Fairness To Steve Francis Himself He Actually Called For That Rule To Be Enforced Cause He Was Not Happy About Getting Smacked Around

[@ericksquare1210]

I love these videos and the music thats played cause it fits it and how the ups and downs of teams are a thing and I didn't really get to see how they fell off like that. Its a fact and sad to see how these things play out and you get to see that its always a bit of everyone that makes the fall happen.

[@michaelbiscay9836]

I'm always happy to hear Clara's voice. She's easily become my new favorite narrator.

[@ZDavis3003]

I literally cheered out loud seeing this video pop up. Keep em comin!

[@uncreative5766]

Today I learned "Don't ever underestimate the heart of a champion" was Rudy T and not some canned audio for a video game.

[@aqgpandemic5406]

In short “in short, they got old”

[@JensenAmory]

Wish it went on longer, would’ve liked to hear about the Yao Ming Tracey Mcgrady time period too

[@marquessmith7428]

That was my team in the 90s as a kid because of my Top 2 Favorite Players All-Time Clyde Drexler & Hakeem Olajuwon. Rudy T was a great coach in the 90s as well. They definitely were an aging team though after the 95 NBA Championship, but were fun to watch with their low post threat & spreading the floor for The Dream to operate & open looks for 3.

[@mrkamikaze5]

Just pumping out the hits, love it, Clara!

[@matthewchiarotto]

I love this series!! Keep them coming! You can even make even make a series about how a team became a championship team.

[@BNiche]

Dropping the Simpsons' classic "it was the style at the time" line was... b-e-a-utiful!

[@jscott218500]

Great video as always! Collapse is one of my favorite series you all do! I am not sure if you read the comments but I would love to see a video on Ted Stepien and his poor management history. Thanks for putting out such great content!

[@TheRealOtakuako]

There you go, I was waiting for this.

[@musyarofah1]

4:26 "oh no, not kenny smith!"

[@alikasim9390]

Extremely well written. Great job.

[@senorfish2503]

Woke up just in time to catch a new episode. Thanks fam!

[@kylewilson1298]

Yes!!! Been waiting for this one!

[@nooxloader1375]

Ngl, that video was amazing, one of the best short sports documentaries MY GOD

[@sportsball8767]

You should do the collpase of Houston as a sports city in general Houston Astros from world series champs to disgraced cheaters Houston Texans from up 24-0 and 3 quarters away from the Superbowl to one of the worst teams in the NFL and all their stars want to leave Houston Rockets from one game away from the NBA finals to having CP3 get injured, and having their franchise player abandon them

[@danielblock6876]

That's the one I think you should do dont boo me I'm talking recent years here as well since 1997 especially look at the film look at the footage!

[@MrMantis32]

Absolutely fantastic work

[@RohitRoy-lj8zx]

I love this channel...they really dig in for all the facts and upload quality videos.

[@RushNZ]

Good vid, glad to see some indepth discussions about these Rockets. I remember watching them as a kid, Hakeem was the man! After the 95 championship they just got old and run down. There was a bunch of injuries etc and adding an older Barkley didn't help at all he was way past his prime, that wasn't a big 3, in name but not in game.

[@ZGryphon]

The call at 6:18 sounds like someone sneaked up behind the announcer and stabbed him while he was distracted by the play. "Stockton - open - threeee - HYAAAGHH"

[@brunocorneliusdorner8062]

As always, top content, love the basketball videos of yours!

[@BulkNoise]

I’ve been subbed with Secret Base for a while now, and even with that comes a realization. This is my favorite Clara video. Good job! Keep it up!

[@isaiahpavia-cruz678]

I remember first hearing “Big 3” with Robinson, Allen, and Cassell

[@cameronfry]

Wow. No love for Otis Thorpe. One of the few flaws in this episode.

[@SuperDuperHappyTime]

Or Robert Horry. Dude goes from Championship Rockets to Championship Lakers to Championship Spurs and just gets mentioned as “was traded away”

[@jpcote7003]

Andrew Fairbanks I believe horry had 7 rings! Which was amazing. Two with Rockets, three with the Lakers, and two with the Spurs.

[@mikeybarboza3086]

Whoever runs and produces the content on this channel is very good! I've only watched this one and part 1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers video and they have been amazing

[@bradywhite842]

I been waiting for this one

[@deathboy126]

Y’all gotta do a collapse of the Denver Broncos after winning Super Bowl 50

[@samortmann5003]

Sacksonville Jaguars too

[@ccboi1311]

@@samortmann5003 as a Jags fan idk, it was us getting injured and then we traded everyone.

[@musyarofah1]

brock osweiller. that's it.

[@deathboy126]

@@samortmann5003 Don’t forget the: Cardinals after Super Bowl 43 Patriots after winning Super Bowl 53 Falcons after blowing a 28 point lead in Super Bowl 51 Texans after blowing a 24-0 lead in the 2019 Divisional Round Spurs after winning the 2014 Finals Cavaliers after winning the 2016 Finals

[@BlackFlash7]

@@deathboy126 the Pats haven't collapsed lol

[@michaelsaint8554]

Just me who thinks they could do something called “The Rise” and talk about how the warriors went to 5 straight finals, chiefs rise to the super bowl stuff like that ? Just me

[@maturegambino9476]

That’s actually a pretty good idea

[@eternal60214]

Hit them up on Twitter and suggest that

[@lawrencev7681]

I love these type of videos. Plz keep making more. Y’all are the best

[@freddygalvan3215]

Fan since 05 season & man it's been a lot of heartbreaks being die hard Rockets, but the wait will be so worth it 🚀🤘🏽

[@R.A.W-X7]

I can't wait for the Collapse of the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles.

[@karnasinghjawanda9596]

Maybe in few years it’s still too early for that

[@Hooper1254]

Great vid. We need some new ones! Detroit Tigers collapse, legion of boom collapse, Boston big 3 collapse, Reggie Miller untitled, Dan fouts untitled, LT untitled

[@ajnur4466]

Love your videos they always put a smile on my face 🙂

[@joaoassumpcao3347]

This is really high quality content. Great video about a great team, then a not-so-great team, then an ok team

[@jpowers55]

3:36 The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers of the 80s say hello.

[@pabl0sauced0]

We need a Rebuild series, watching these is just too sad😭

[@Mattraction513]

I agree

[@MazeDaGr8]

I agree, they should start highlighting the teams that fell but rose again

[@pauljansen1137]

yet another great subject handled perfectly by this great channel!!!

[@spazzjenkins1449]

This was really good. I loved it

[@sawyertuide7636]

We need a sequel to this soon on Harden’s rockets Also I was thinking about one on the Falcons soon but that’s when Ryan and Julio are gone

[@williammunny1844]

I remember breaking my remote controller when Stockton hit that shot in Game 6. I feel like that was the official end of that short Rockets dynasty.

[@davidfalterman8713]

I dunno how y'all do it, but every SB narrator is so top-tier, holy cow. Another great video!

[@sotoalfredo20]

This was dope. 🔥🔥🔥

[@samweltan3353]

Had they not fumbled we would've gotten MJ vs Hakeem. Just imagine.

[@coopercook216]

Of your saying we should’ve taken MJ than your wrong and obviously don’t know the situation we were in at the time.

[@wallacepemberton932]

@@coopercook216 I think he’s talking about fumbled with the trades they made, we would have seen Houston vs Chicago in the finals. What you’re talking about is a better topic though. Portland offered Houston their 1st round pick and Drexler for Ralph Sampson. Houston could have had Olajuwon, Drexler , and Jordan. I’d say they definitely fumbled there as well, what’s the situation you’re referring to?

[@coopercook216]

@@wallacepemberton932 Jordan and Hakeem are from the same draft class I thought he was talking about we fumbled on the opportunity to have Jordan instead of Hakeem

[@wallacepemberton932]

@@coopercook216 I know, did you read my entire response? I said I knew what he was talking about, but I found the topic you thought he was addressing was a more interesting topic. Y’all could have had Hakeem, Jordan, and Drexler. You initially responded to him with “you don’t know the situation we were in at the time.” That’s what I was asking you about.

[@kai-to3js]

ur gonna have to do another one of these for the james harden rockets

[@imightbebiased9311]

She should just save time and cover the Daryl Morey arc as a whole.

[@eliasl2466]

We're gonna have to wait a few years to see the true collapse

[@dionzervos3306]

You have to have a peak for it to be a collapse

[@kai-to3js]

@@dionzervos3306 lollll i wouldnt go that far they were one of the best offenses of all time and were one game away from the finals thats a lot better than most teams

[@ericrakestraw664]

Why James Harden never won an NBA title?

[@henrybeall5023]

this was one of my favorites of all time

[@KlassicLoL]

Bittersweet ending to this episode. Usually (and obviously) these episodes are pretty dour due to teams falling out. But this one wraps with a nice narrative conclusion to the themes of the championship teams. Well done.

[@robson1012]

33 is not old ! MJ started his second three peat at this age :)

[@fullweezy3553]

That's what I was thinking the whole time all the bulls were in their 30s during the second 3 peat Soo 30s is not old

[@robson1012]

@@fullweezy3553 people like to say that bulls won with pistons because of detroit age but they were before 30, for basketball player it's prime of carrer

[@FuShengAlex]

Uhhh yeah....didn't hurt for MJ to have nearly a year and a half off playing that sissy sport baseball while those other guys kept plugging away.

[@melvynsngltn27]

@@robson1012 wrong Isiah Thomas had his worst season at age 30

[@wallacepemberton932]

@@melvynsngltn27 he’s not wrong, Isiah was 29 when Jordan beat him.

[@benb5038]

Beef history: Bill O’Brien vs. sense

[@owethunala2632]

Man this channels come along way but it's still so underrated

[@insertcolorfulmetaphor8520]

One of the best series on KZbin!

[@clutchbay7082]

Idea: Do How the celtics fell from 3 titles in the 80's to missing the playoffs

[@redtiger4352]

One word "Bird"

[@ElectricCool]

@@redtiger4352 another one...age

[@BDChupacabra]

"Can they really do it aga... Oh my God" lmao 😂

[@aaaworld8995]

Secret Base You guys are great .I can’t wait for more stories bring it on !!!!

[@georgeovia]

Love this series!