Greatest moment in each NBA franchise’s history

Houston Rockets: 1994 NBA Championship

The Houston Rockets, despite the talent that had been brought onto their roster over the years, had never won an NBA Championship coming into the mid-90s. Sure, the franchise had been to the 1981 Finals behind Moses Malone and the 1986 Finals behind the towering frontcourt of Ralph Sampson and Hakeem Olajuwon. However, they lost both of those series and, even with a transcendent type of player like Olajuwon on their roster, they had never gotten to hold the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

That’s when the perfect storm broke their way going into the 1993-94 season. The Bulls had just won three consecutive titles, but now Michael Jordan was playing baseball. Led by Olajuwon, Otis Thorpe, Vernon Maxwell, and Kenny Smith, the Rockets earned the second seed in the West, trailing only the Sonics in the standings.

However, the Rockets caught yet another break as Denver knocked off the top-seeded Sonics in the first round of the playoffs. Subsequently, the Rockets had the opportunity to capitalize and win a championship for the franchise and for Olajuwon. After the road through the West lead them past Charles Barkley and then Karl Malone, it was Patrick Ewing and the Knicks waiting in the Finals.

Behind an absurdly dominant performance from Olajuwon, where he averaged 26.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.6 steals and 3.9 blocks per game on 50 percent shooting, the Rockets emerged as the winners of the seven-game series to capture the team’s first NBA title.

The Rockets were always going to be relevant with Olajuwon on the roster, but the title with Dream at the center of it validated all of the praise and hype about the big man and Houston as a whole. It was a hugely important moment for the franchise and, of course, it brought them their first taste of gold.

Next: Indiana Pacers