FromTheSouth
You don't want it with me.
The is the first of a hopefully successful series where I question fan loyalties from a specific city. Sometimes, certain teams and stars get more love than others when it is truly another athlete or team that has done more for the city and brought more happiness and glory to the city. It's almost as if the amount of pain the beloved team brings has that pain transferred onto imaginary instant where they might win. There is no greater evidence of this phenomenon than in Houston, TX.
Football is king in Texas. Truly, high school football games in this state routinely draw 20,000 fans. While that might not seem like too large of a number, in the city of Houston and the surrounding there are well over 100 high school and they all draw well. That's just high school. I don't think the love of football in Texas is a myth or a secret, so let's just suffice it to say that in Houston, The Texans are number one, The Astros number two, and The Texans are number three. Rounding out the top four, we have the most successful team in Houston, the one that has brought the most joy and best athletes to the city, Yyyyoooouuuuurrrrr Hooouuuuuusttttooooonnnn ROCKETS!!!!!!!!
That's right, the most successful, and only champions, are the red headed stepchild of the Houston sports scene. This is so unjust considering that the Rockets have been to Four NBA Finals and won two. The Astros/Texans/Oilers triumvirate have been to one, and won zero......games, much less titles. Now, don't get me wrong, I love The Astros and I love The Texans, and I loved The Oilers so much that I still follow The Titans. But, it is the Rockets who have given me the most joy in my lifetime.
Now, I was not around for the '80-'81 Rockets, but that team had a losing record and still made the Finals. Honestly, that may have been the worst team with a chance to win a title until the '99 Knicks. But, if we start with the '85-'86 Rockets and move forward, the lack of love for the team gets mind boggling. First of all, this team featured the 1983 and 1984 number one picks in Ralph Sampson and Akeem Olajuwon. They also had three above average guards, with John Lucas and Rodney McCray being All-Stars. These Rockets dominated the defending NBA Champion Lakers 4 games to one, inspiring Pat Riley to call the "the team of the future." In the Finals, they played the Celtics, a team regarded as the greatest of all the times. The problem is that McHale and Parish could not handle Sampson and Akeem. Then, in game five of a series tied at 2, Sampson gets undercut, crashes his head and his hip into the ground, and his career disintegrates and so do The Rockets hopes of bringing that first elusive title to Houston. Combining that with three drug suspension to those above average guards, and Akeem is left to toil unhappily in Houston under about three thousand different coaches with sidekicks like Otis Thorpe and Sleepy Floyd. Culminating with Akeem's broken eye socket and the Rocket's missing the playoffs for the first time in forever in 1991-1992.
That summer, while licking their wounds, the Rockets decided to reform, and no one was more instrumental in that reformation than the newly revitalized Muslim Hakeem "The H makes me shoot better" Olajuwon. Hakeem, who already had the best footwork in the history of the game. (No exaggeration, and he is still far and away the best ever on the low post.) Hakeem developed the turn around jump shot which made him complete. He became unstoppable. All he needed was confidence in his teammates. The newly drafted Robert Horry certainly added to that. He was a 6'10" small forward with wing, post, defensive, and ball handling skills. This Rockets team won 50 games, got home court for the first round, and took Seattle to seven in round two. The improvement of the Rockets didn't stop there. Adding Sam Cassell's youthful energy and brass fucking balls was the last step, along with Mario Elie's bigger and brassier balls, defensive skills, and outside shooting ability was the last step necessary to build a contender. The '93-'94 Rockets were ready to compete for it all.
The team started off 15-0, capping that run in MSG on national television. There was no stopping Hakeem, who would go on to average 29-11-5-4-2 for the season. This is one of the best all around seasons in the league. He finished in the top ten in scoring, rebounding, steals, and blocks (1st). He was named the Defensive Player of the Year, MVP and was ready to roll in the playoffs. After beating the University of Connecticut women's team in the first round, they fell behind Phoenix 1-3 in the second round. It looked like another disappointment for Hakeem. Houston was used to it. Time for baseball.
Not so fast, my friend. /Corso
This Rockets team overcame the deficit and went on an improbable run of 8-0 when facing elimination over the next two years. The Rockets won the next two titles. Don't think this is too impressive? Look at the numbers Hakeem Olajuwon put up against the likes of Barkley, Malone, Robinson, Ewing, and Shaq (who had teammates like Stockton, Penny, Manning, Majerle, etc., oh, and Horace Grant). In 93-94, he averaged 29-11 and in 94-95, he averaged 33-10. He grabbed 100 offensive rebounds in these two post seasons. He burned through Robinson and Shaq in 2005 like they were nothing, polishing off Robinson 43-17 in a deciding game six and destroying Shaq to the point where Shaq, who has jokes for everyone, only speaks of Hakeem with reverence and awe. He said that that series was where he learned how to be a winner. Two championships for a starved city.
Yawn. It wasn't football or, at the very least, The Astros. The team got parades, headlines, and adoration. The problem was that the city forgets. The city embraces Earl Campbell, Craig Biggio, and Jeff Bagwell. Hakeem Olajuwon, indisputably the best athlete in the history of the city, is not the favorite. According to Bill Simmons, Hakeem is a member of the pantheon, the select few players who should not be compared to anyone or have anyone compared to them. There will be no "next" Olajuwon. There will never be a player who's career will be even close to compare. He is the only member of the 1000 blocks and 1000 steals club, as well as the 900 blocks and steals club, as well as 800, 700, and 600. He also threw in 28 a game during his ten prime years and led the league in rebounding a few times. He is a 14 time All-Star, two time finals MVP, successful real estate mogul, and generally congenial guy who got a bad reputation for being surly because the guy could not catch a break early in his career and it wore on him. He felt the pressure to succeed for the city that took in a 15 year old African soccer player and nurtured him for over 20 years. He became a citizen of this nation just to represent America, and yet, a running back with five good years, no titles, and a Heisman was more beloved.
The city of Houston needs to get it straight. The Rockets are their winners. Hakeem is their champion. I love Bags, Bigg, and all the other greats of the city. Andre Johnson may some day reach Hakeem status, but he is the only athlete who has ever had a slight chance of getting there, yet many others all regarded more highly. I do not understand. This is a football and baseball mad state and area, but the winners, the real winners, they play basketball. For the record, yes, I am disregarding the championships from the coked up jackasses from Dallas. Every Cowboy can fucking blow me.
Football is king in Texas. Truly, high school football games in this state routinely draw 20,000 fans. While that might not seem like too large of a number, in the city of Houston and the surrounding there are well over 100 high school and they all draw well. That's just high school. I don't think the love of football in Texas is a myth or a secret, so let's just suffice it to say that in Houston, The Texans are number one, The Astros number two, and The Texans are number three. Rounding out the top four, we have the most successful team in Houston, the one that has brought the most joy and best athletes to the city, Yyyyoooouuuuurrrrr Hooouuuuuusttttooooonnnn ROCKETS!!!!!!!!
That's right, the most successful, and only champions, are the red headed stepchild of the Houston sports scene. This is so unjust considering that the Rockets have been to Four NBA Finals and won two. The Astros/Texans/Oilers triumvirate have been to one, and won zero......games, much less titles. Now, don't get me wrong, I love The Astros and I love The Texans, and I loved The Oilers so much that I still follow The Titans. But, it is the Rockets who have given me the most joy in my lifetime.
Now, I was not around for the '80-'81 Rockets, but that team had a losing record and still made the Finals. Honestly, that may have been the worst team with a chance to win a title until the '99 Knicks. But, if we start with the '85-'86 Rockets and move forward, the lack of love for the team gets mind boggling. First of all, this team featured the 1983 and 1984 number one picks in Ralph Sampson and Akeem Olajuwon. They also had three above average guards, with John Lucas and Rodney McCray being All-Stars. These Rockets dominated the defending NBA Champion Lakers 4 games to one, inspiring Pat Riley to call the "the team of the future." In the Finals, they played the Celtics, a team regarded as the greatest of all the times. The problem is that McHale and Parish could not handle Sampson and Akeem. Then, in game five of a series tied at 2, Sampson gets undercut, crashes his head and his hip into the ground, and his career disintegrates and so do The Rockets hopes of bringing that first elusive title to Houston. Combining that with three drug suspension to those above average guards, and Akeem is left to toil unhappily in Houston under about three thousand different coaches with sidekicks like Otis Thorpe and Sleepy Floyd. Culminating with Akeem's broken eye socket and the Rocket's missing the playoffs for the first time in forever in 1991-1992.
That summer, while licking their wounds, the Rockets decided to reform, and no one was more instrumental in that reformation than the newly revitalized Muslim Hakeem "The H makes me shoot better" Olajuwon. Hakeem, who already had the best footwork in the history of the game. (No exaggeration, and he is still far and away the best ever on the low post.) Hakeem developed the turn around jump shot which made him complete. He became unstoppable. All he needed was confidence in his teammates. The newly drafted Robert Horry certainly added to that. He was a 6'10" small forward with wing, post, defensive, and ball handling skills. This Rockets team won 50 games, got home court for the first round, and took Seattle to seven in round two. The improvement of the Rockets didn't stop there. Adding Sam Cassell's youthful energy and brass fucking balls was the last step, along with Mario Elie's bigger and brassier balls, defensive skills, and outside shooting ability was the last step necessary to build a contender. The '93-'94 Rockets were ready to compete for it all.
The team started off 15-0, capping that run in MSG on national television. There was no stopping Hakeem, who would go on to average 29-11-5-4-2 for the season. This is one of the best all around seasons in the league. He finished in the top ten in scoring, rebounding, steals, and blocks (1st). He was named the Defensive Player of the Year, MVP and was ready to roll in the playoffs. After beating the University of Connecticut women's team in the first round, they fell behind Phoenix 1-3 in the second round. It looked like another disappointment for Hakeem. Houston was used to it. Time for baseball.
Not so fast, my friend. /Corso
This Rockets team overcame the deficit and went on an improbable run of 8-0 when facing elimination over the next two years. The Rockets won the next two titles. Don't think this is too impressive? Look at the numbers Hakeem Olajuwon put up against the likes of Barkley, Malone, Robinson, Ewing, and Shaq (who had teammates like Stockton, Penny, Manning, Majerle, etc., oh, and Horace Grant). In 93-94, he averaged 29-11 and in 94-95, he averaged 33-10. He grabbed 100 offensive rebounds in these two post seasons. He burned through Robinson and Shaq in 2005 like they were nothing, polishing off Robinson 43-17 in a deciding game six and destroying Shaq to the point where Shaq, who has jokes for everyone, only speaks of Hakeem with reverence and awe. He said that that series was where he learned how to be a winner. Two championships for a starved city.
Yawn. It wasn't football or, at the very least, The Astros. The team got parades, headlines, and adoration. The problem was that the city forgets. The city embraces Earl Campbell, Craig Biggio, and Jeff Bagwell. Hakeem Olajuwon, indisputably the best athlete in the history of the city, is not the favorite. According to Bill Simmons, Hakeem is a member of the pantheon, the select few players who should not be compared to anyone or have anyone compared to them. There will be no "next" Olajuwon. There will never be a player who's career will be even close to compare. He is the only member of the 1000 blocks and 1000 steals club, as well as the 900 blocks and steals club, as well as 800, 700, and 600. He also threw in 28 a game during his ten prime years and led the league in rebounding a few times. He is a 14 time All-Star, two time finals MVP, successful real estate mogul, and generally congenial guy who got a bad reputation for being surly because the guy could not catch a break early in his career and it wore on him. He felt the pressure to succeed for the city that took in a 15 year old African soccer player and nurtured him for over 20 years. He became a citizen of this nation just to represent America, and yet, a running back with five good years, no titles, and a Heisman was more beloved.
The city of Houston needs to get it straight. The Rockets are their winners. Hakeem is their champion. I love Bags, Bigg, and all the other greats of the city. Andre Johnson may some day reach Hakeem status, but he is the only athlete who has ever had a slight chance of getting there, yet many others all regarded more highly. I do not understand. This is a football and baseball mad state and area, but the winners, the real winners, they play basketball. For the record, yes, I am disregarding the championships from the coked up jackasses from Dallas. Every Cowboy can fucking blow me.