Sad, OT was the first person in the paint that Dream trusted since Ralph. however, not sad about the outcome. Rudy T wrote how hard it was since OT was also one of his best friends. Now they are golfing buddies post NBA. lets not forget OT helping Detroit make the playoffs with Grant Hill. I remember OT!
Clutch City 1 was the better defensive team. Clutch City 2 was the better offensive team. Clutch City 1 - Robert Horry -dunking machine Clutch City 2 - The true beginning of Big Shot Rob Clutch City 1 - Heroic performance by Max in game 3 against the Suns Clutch City 2 - Heroic performance by Clyde in game 5 against the Jazz Clutch City 1 - biggest buzzer beater = Sam Cassell vs the Knicks Clutch City 2 - biggest buzzer beater = Mario Elie vs the Suns
CC2 was better to me. Because it seemed so improbable to everyone else in the world. I was at all the home games in 94 playoffs I was at the very final game 4 in 95. Even with that, I still enjoyed 95 more. Down 3-1...and coming back with the Kiss of Death shot. Wow. But loved them both!
If the Rockets manage to win the championship this year...CCIII will be the greatest of them all by far
I specifically remember being in the kitchen with my dad after we won our 2nd title, and although we both followed the rockets religously we weren't as happy as the 1st time around. My day even made note of it, when he said that I didn't seem as excited like I was the previous year before............I could've told him the same thing, seeing how he ran up and down the street in our neighborhood as soon as the buzzer sounded in Game 7 in '94......................................I loved both title runs and the 2nd run was probably more "thrilling", but nothing replaces the memories of the "1st time".......................
same here.........at first I hated seeing O.T. go, because he was a Rocket at heart, but I knew getting Clyde and Murray would help us more.............
CCII was amazing, and has my vote...like a previous poster said, it validated our first one as well was a historic story on it's own.
I echo this sentiment. CC1 may have the greatest edge. Dream beating Ewing, the look on Sir Charles and Company's faces before... The First ever "major" championship for the city of Houston... But... CC2 was just an amazing feat of will and determination that reinforced Dream's legacy and set the talking heads on their ear. Both were equally inspiring.
If they do it without Yao I might agree but it will be hard to match the drama of both Clutch Cities or the almost improbablity of Clutch City II. As others posters have pointed out pretty much everyone was writing off the Rockets. Even up to the third game of the finals the talking heads kept on talking about how the Rockets were going to run out of gas and the Magic would overpower them. With the exception of the Jazz every other team was the media favoriet. During the championship games most of the commercials featured Shaq and Penny, infact I remember clearly on NBC the first commercial they showed after game 4 was won was a Penny Hardaway commercial. The country and the media woke up to the Rockets when Bob Costas publically apologized prior to the start of game 4 of the Finals for not giving the Rockets more respect for the 94 championship and that year's playoff run. In sports the only things that I can think of that are comparable to the Rockets 1995 playoff run was this year's NY Giant's run to capture the Superbowl (and even there I would say it is behind the Rox since those were single games and not series where differences in talent get magnified), the 1985 Villanova NCAA run and the 1980 US Olympic Hockey Team. For a team that didn't even win 50 games in the regular season to come out and beat two teams that won over 60 games and two that won in the high 50's including dominating the team with the best record and MVP and sweeping the team with the third best record is practically unprecedented then or since.
I have a definite feeling Landry will be the old Horry we had back in the day, just without the 3 point shooting. I can't wait until the playoffs!
I voted CCII but it was CCI that made me fall in love with Houston. My wife and I were married in July 94. So it's kind of special to me. The Phoenix escape was awesome and I love killing off Barkley the hater!!!
Nothing beats me running like 10 blocks to the parade route & having the fire trucks pass us on the way to the start & me yelling out to the guys & them waving at me & my buddy. Also, me calling in "sick" on parade day . . . . . both years! Watching game 7 at some random guys house with a guy I nearly got into a fist fight with a few weeks prior & after the buzzer going off & we're champions, we're hugging. Driving home & my horn stopped working from honking so much & resigned to the fact that the horn gave its life up in the line of duty . . . only for it to start working again 2 days later. Immediately after sweeping, gathering my brother, and friends & taking the same truck to Academy for the hat/shirt. While browsing around, stumbling upon an official Starter Sweat Suit, replete with tear away pants that I purchased & still own. Then driving down to Westheimer only to be buried in traffic for so long that by time we got thru it all & took our drive down Westheimer once, heading home. The horn survived that night. SOOOO MANY DEAR MEMORIES! "Heart of a Champion" *STILL* gets my pulse racing & lights a fire.
If there is a Clutch City III this year it will clearly be the biggest ever due to all the adversity we would have overcome.
I missed the parade the first time around, but I caught the 2nd one...........I'll find some old pics and try to post them this weekend...............
