NBA on NBC - 1994 NBA Finals Game 5 Intro - Rockets vs Knicks

[@danieldougan269]

Considering the technology available in 1994, the production values here were incredibly high.

[@maryakopyan3224]

They were more genuine.

[@elvisgomezweichertrealtors7606]

More creative back then for sure!

[@GiantNFC7]

Theatre

[@brycegelmanyt]

Way higher than now

[@challenger516]

You act like we were living in the Stone Age in 1994 LOL

[@mrmartywaring]

This is how you bring in an NBA game. I wish ESPN/ABC/TNT would take a page from NBC's book

[@zap_sigma1]

NBA on CBS/NBC >ESPN/ABC/TNT

[@evanhullinger2900]

The OJ Simpson game. What a dramatic night that was for NBC and fans in general. Having to cut away numerous times from this game to give updates on the chase for OJ. The game was basically split screen all night on most of the NBC stations with the NBA finals game 5 on the bottom right hand corner of TV screens and the police chase for OJ in a white bronco going down the LA freeway on a full screen. It was bizarre. It was crazy. It was tenuous. June 17 1994 a night we will never forget in the history of television.

[@HH__09]

I remember getting pissed off because the game kept getting interrupted 😅

[@DavidChen322]

I remember thinking: he's running away. OJ is guilty.

[@Ezekiel144k]

I remember like it was yesterday

[@craigm7828]

I was in MSG that night so I'm proud to say I'm one of about 20k people who saw it in its entirety! It was crazy in the building as well. During the game, MSG would put NBC's feed on Garden Vision. All of a sudden in the 2nd quarter, there was a huge gasp from the crowd when the White Bronco chase appeared. I think it was up for about 20-30 seconds before they pulled it down. At some point, a bunch of people in the Blue Seats (upper level of MSG for those who've never been there) start crowding around the concession stands because they were actually in the arena...meaning you could watch the game *and* the OJ coverage. Late in the game when it looked like the Knicks would win and they started playing the "Go New York Go" song, some people in the crowd were singing "Go OJ, Go OJ, Go!" Absolutely nuts. All that + the Rangers' victory parade had been earlier in the day!

[@mike786551]

I clearly remember everything from this night... I Was just 14 years old living in Houston.. dam those were the days!

[@jamw8022]

Became a Knicks fan by chance stopping a Knicks game when I was a sophomore in HS. John Starks grabbed my attention and I was hooked ever since.

[@billny33]

I recognize that music in the intro. NBC also used it in 1993 for their intro to Buffalo's wild card game against Houston, the one where they made the crazy 32 point comeback. Even today, NBC is the only network that knows how to do a proper intro to a meaningful sporting event. Everyone else just makes trashy musical highlight montages or movie tie-ins. Give me a few reasons to care about the game if I don't have a dog in the fight. Not a lot to ask.

[@BallinNQnz]

That Bills-Oilers games was on ABC.

[@TheLocalLt]

BallinNQnz no it wasn’t

[@johnnyracioppi]

@@BallinNQnzit was nbc

[@SuperPatch88]

One of my favorite NBA championship series.

[@dougcmorgan]

The nostalgia is incredible. I love the music so damn much. But the writing of that intro is legit poetry. And NBA on NBC did that night after night. Game after game. I'm so excited that NBC is getting the NBA back!

[@RealDaveTalk]

I remember watching the game, it was the last day of school and just finished the 11th grade. I was rooting for the Knicks to win and then they went to the OJ chase me and my mom was watching it on TV. The Summer of 1994 was one of the best summer ever. That year I meet this white girl were I worked at a summer camp

[@ShotScience]

What an exciting time!

[@jamw8022]

I'd rather watch a 94 or 95 Knicks game 100 out of 100 times over watching a live, current game.... 90s Knicks...like, I can't even...the intros bring a tear to my eye and make me feel like an old fart at the same time LOL (I'm 42 btw, sooo not that old.. but thinking this was more than half my lifetime ago... damn lol)

[@thorgardhaugen2193]

I feel exactly the same ❤️

[@thomassmart821]

The knicks were amazing in the 90s Patrick Ewing was amazing leader

[@challenger516]

A leader who choked in big games.

[@danieldougan269]

I could watch this over and over again. I loved the NBA on NBC, especially "Roundball Rock" by John Tesh and the melodramatic intro films with narration from Bob Costas. The production value was very slick considering it was 1994. This was the game that was interrupted by the OJ Simpson chase. I wonder why there was no mention of it in this clip considering what I've seen in the excellent ESPN 30 for 30 documentary "June 17, 1994" with Bob Costas rehearsing what to say about balancing this game with being "mindful of the OJ Simpson situation." I guess that happened at some other point earlier or later.

[@sheltered_k]

Daniel Dougan You're right. It happened later on in the telecast.

+Daniel Dougan Costas and the pregame crew turned their backs on the game to watch a monitor showing the chase. Fans wandered from their seats to find TVs tuned to CNN, ABC or CBS. If smartphone video had existed back then, 16,661 people probably wouldn’t have noticed if Ewing’s shorts had fallen off. NBC opted for a split screen. Call it a half-Heidi. Midway through the second half, the Bronco pulled into Simpson’s driveway. A 27-man SWAT team was scattered about the property. Snipers were ready to fire if Simpson made a wrong move.

[@danieldougan269]

+ᏳᏫᏜᏡᎦᏈᏜᏫᏳ I don't know about that...the Knick fans cared a lot about that game. It was the rest of the country that didn't.

[@danieldougan269]

+Daniel Dougan I'd imagine the Rockets fans in Houston cared a lot too.

[@altfactor]

I believe O.J. Simpson was supposed to have surrendered to police earlier that day but didn't and was considered missing for several hours....before the Chase.

[@michaelgleason3246]

I was at this game - at start of Q3 people were in hallways looking at monitor watching OJ - it was surreal!

[@goyanks6350]

Nba On nbc was magical . 90s Knicks will always have my heart

[@jakejp74]

Thank you Pat Riley for helping create all of this

[@disorderliberalism2377]

That’s when I watched the nba. Today, it is BORING

[@jamw8022]

You're not kidding. I'd rather watch a basketball game from 1995 that I've seen 10 times and know the outcome already, than a live game today. Back then was so much better...

[@blppt]

What, you mean screens setting up for 40 bricked threes a game is boring? ;)

[@WiiNintendoGameboy]

While watching Game 4 of the 2016 NBA Finals, Jeff Van Gundy (who was an assistant under Pat Riley at the time) mentioned this game during the telecast and the bizarre story that OJ wanted to actually listen to the end of this very game while on the run on the car radio.

[@islandblader]

If you were on the NBA on NBC on Sundays, it meant you were good. Always Knicks, Bulls, Pacers, Heat (late 90s), Suns, Rockets, Lakers, even the old Sonics.

[@jeffcallan5790]

That intro when the knicks was introduced for that game gave me goosebumps! You can see it in Houston’s eyes after that intro they was gonna lose that game! There was just no way the knicks was losing that game! The crazy and amazing energy that the New York City fans brought to that game was fire! Sucks that they lost in 7! Patrick definitely deserved to win a chip in his career! Crazy………. Oh yeah, and there was the OJ CAR CHASE 🤔

[@marquishoward3529]

I miss the nba on nbc, I especially love the theme

[@pranavsambamurti7746]

This game was played on the evening of the OJ Simpson chase down the LA Freeway. Unforgettable Memories......

[@Alejandro-lv9bs]

OJ for sure elevated Game 5 for sure.

[@MrAce-lm8es]

The 2-3-2 Format

[@Storm27ification]

Facts they need to bring that format back

[@inigobantok1579]

​@@Storm27ificationit's unfair for the one who had homecourt advantage

[@Storm27ification]

@@inigobantok1579 Totally understand

[@poisonpen26]

amazing production.

[@mike786551]

I wish nba never went to abc/ESPN! This was peak NBA.. remember watching the 94 and 95 series while living in Houston when I was just 14... Those days were the best and Houston and it's fans were the best!

[@shermanngjazz]

Back when the Knicks were respectable and played with heart!

[@CraigMcfly1985]

That controversial OJ game.

[@misterbelton]

Ewing’s best game of The Finals. Outplayed Hakeem but it’s not remembered because of OJ.

[@victormaitlin9636]

An incredible night of high drama coast to coast

[@abysanty8246]

As a Knicks fan this gives me great memories but also pain! Idk the day we will see a Knicks Championship…

[@tmac29nyc]

Lord Knows when will i see my Beloved Knicks in the FINALS AGAIN!

[@KingBirdy]

or my rockets lol

[@danieldougan269]

I think the Rockets will get there first. As of now, they are ranked #1 in the Western Conference.

[@disorderliberalism2377]

tmacnyc well Carmelo is gone, so your chances have improved

[@Catdaddyacab]

Still waiting on both of your teams lol

[@RoadCone411]

I remember watching this coverage, I remember Bob Costas' stirring intro. I was neither a Rockets nor a Knicks fan, but this was a HUGE series. How can this game be getting close to 27 years ago? MSG was rocking that night...NBC had great graphics and music to complete the excellent intro. It's so 90s but I love it. And then....freaking OJ ruins it....ha, well that turned out to be pretty monumental news.

[@shaq9838]

What fan are you a laker fan?

[@RoadCone411]

@@shaq9838 no

[@shaq9838]

@@RoadCone411 what team you a fan of

[@GiantNFC7]

Legit crying watching this!

[@patriciavinas-yl3ss]

Rudy Tomjanovich Hakeem Olajuwon Otis Thorpe Robert Horry Kenny Smith Vernon Maxwell Pat Riley Patrick Ewing Charles Oakley Charles Smith Derek Harper John Starks

[@altfactor]

Was this the game cut-off for the O.J. Simpson chase?

[@djjordan1342]

altfactor Yes

[@manuginobilisbaldspot424]

Split screen for a portion of it

[@evanhullinger2900]

Yes it was. In fact during the game in fact late in the first half Marv Albert took us TV viewers away from the game and sending us off to NBC News to Tom Brokaw to give late news on the chase for OJ. Some of the game was cut off due to the updates throughout the game.

[@quikdeath100]

Today’s ESPN should take note of this. It’s possible to actually breakdown a matchup before a game

[@TheBloodshower]

Nothing beats a NBA game with an OJ Simpson car chase!

[@JohnSmith-4U]

this was Ewing's best chance to win.....too bad the rest of the Knicks were not as motivated as Ewing

[@DavidChen322]

Was this the OJ Simpson white Bronco game?

[@freakyfornash]

Yep!

[@anthonysodano2882]

Wish they can bring back nba on nbc

[@freakyfornash]

It's happening very soon at last!

[@GenXRealist]

Love this intro. But Bob Costos was wrong. The 90’s Knicks are revered by Knicks fans to this day

[@toddlicata7071]

They really tried to paint Riley as superior to Rudy T in that video. The teams were fairly even.

[@JustNeedaBeerandPark]

Todd Licata Better coach.

[@maryakopyan3224]

Rockets had more athleticism.

[@blppt]

Riley's Knicks should have won. It took a historically bad outing by Starks singlehandedly destroying the Knicks in game 7. If he just stopped chucking it up, the Knicks win going away.

[@vikfan4life]

The OJ Simpson game.

[@clarkestevegil4085]

Knicks vs Nets, next game tomorrow!

american crime story.. lol.

[@brianmears3388]

The next season, Matt Guokas seemed biased in favor of the Orlando Magic.

OJ is guilty!

[@sarahburdeos7426]

Hinataw aso pinaio away isa pito

[@MysticScorpion99]

i did not watch NBA at all in 94 when jordan was done i was done with the NBA