[nba]Rockets team of the 90s (vote)

[tinman]

Rocket Jones,
I decided to make this it's own thread.

I've decided to assume Dream is cemented in like his statue as a vote.
So it's 4 choices.

http://www.nba.com/rockets/fans/rock...012_03_01.html

Vote For Your Rockets All-Decade Team of the 1990s
Celebrating 45 years of Houston Rockets Tradition

Clutch City.

It's been nearly two decades since the inception of that goose bump-inducing moniker and the mere mention of it still floods the senses with a symphony of sights and sounds that can send spirits soaring and reduce grown men to tears. That is its beauty. Such is its power.

But achieving full appreciation of the Clutch City label requires an understanding of everything that came before: all the heartbreak and pain; the what ifs and what might have beens; the scarlet letter 'C' that had previously been emblazoned upon the chest of Houston's sports scene, proclaiming our teams and athletes – all of us, really – as nothing more than a bunch of underachieving chokers.

And then Leslie Alexander changed it all.

Clutch City began when Alexander became owner, took charge, and injected new leadership and life into this already proud franchise. Then Hakeem Olajuwon went from being the best big man in the NBA to the league's best player, period. Others like Otis Thorpe, Robert Horry, Vernon Maxwell, Kenny Smith and Sam Cassell found their roles and fit perfectly into place. Alexander and Head Coach Rudy Tomjanovich pressed all the right buttons. And on June 22, 1994, the heart of a champion was born.

Their demons of the past forever exorcized, the Rockets then went about the unique business of concocting a sequel even more spectacular than the original. A hometown hero returned, electrifying a city and sending a fan base to even greater heights. And what followed from that point forward – simply the stuff of pure legend: Clutch City conquered the Jazz; a kiss of death smote the Suns; Olajuwon bamboozled the Spurs; while the Magic meekly disappeared in the face of the Rockets' real wizardry.

It was truly a decade of dreams for the Rockets; a kaleidoscope of moments never to be forgotten. And now, as part of the Rockets' 45th anniversary season and in an effort to pay homage to those memories, Rockets.com gave you the opportunity to select your team of the decade – a squad that will be honored at halftime of Houston's March 22 game against Golden State.

Below, you'll find the basics on the top candidates. So take a look, do you own due diligence and cast your vote prior to midnight of March 9. It's going to be a close race. VOTE NOW

Be sure to make your way to Toyota Center March 22nd for the Rockets game against Golden State, when the franchise and its fans will pay tribute to the team of the 1990's that you selected.

As a special bonus, you can purchase a 45th anniversary pack for March 22nd - Each ticket includes a 45th anniversary t-shirt and a large beer or soda for $45 on the lower level or $25 for the upper level of Toyota Center. BUY TICKETS

[Ricksmith]

Are we voting in Barkley for the lulz?

[Ricksmith]

Eh, I ended up voting for

Kenny Smith
Vernon Maxwell
Robert Horry
Otis Thorpe
Hakeem

[tinman]

Charles Barkley

The Round Mound of Rebound was well past his prime by the time he arrived, but that didn't prevent him from making a significant impact upon the club the moment he hit the court. In his first game with the Rockets, Barkley recorded a career-high 33 rebounds, setting the tone for a season in which he would average 13.5 boards per game – the second-highest mark of his Hall of Fame career – while helping to lead Houston all the way to the Western Conference Finals.

Sam Cassell

Possessing a confidence that belied his young years, the precocious Cassell entered the league in 1993 and instantly injected the Rockets with a certain swagger and belief that came to define the Clutch City era. Utterly fearless even beneath the brightest of lights, Cassell came up big time and time again during the Rockets’ championship runs, delivering daggers with the sort of smile that revealed both his passion for the game and his affinity for crunch time.

Clyde Drexler

The embodiment of the hometown hero who returns to his roots to achieve his greatest glory, Drexler came back to Houston via trade in 1995 and helped spark the Rockets to an amazing playoff run that culminated in the team's second straight title. A 10-time All-Star and one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history, "The Glide" was not only a highlight waiting to happen, but also a devastating all-around player capable of making big plays on both ends of the court.

Mario Elie

The ultimate glue guy, Elie knew his role on the team and performed it perfectly. He supplied ample amounts of offense and defense to be sure, but just as valuable was the inexhaustible toughness he brought to the Rockets on a nightly basis. And should you ever need a reminder of just how beloved Elie still is in this town, just say the words “kiss of death” to the Rockets fan beside you – the resulting look on their face will surely say it all.

Robert Horry

The legend of “Big Shot Rob” began in Houston, as Horry played a pivotal role in the Rockets’ back-to-back championships. Yes, he hit plenty of huge, momentum-swinging, game-changing shots during that time, but he was just as valuable for his defense, passing and versatility, too, giving the Rockets whatever they needed on both sides of the ball.

Vernon Maxwell

No less an authority than Robert Horry recently called Vernon Maxwell the greatest athlete he’s ever played with – such was the sheer physical talent possessed by the man dubbed “Mad Max” by fans and teammates alike. Maxwell could defend like a demon, never lacked in confidence, and when he got hot from the field, few opponents could handle or curtail the offensive onslaught sure to follow.

Kenny Smith

As the Rockets’ starting point guard during the team’s title-winning seasons, Smith was instrumental in making Houston’s inside-outside offensive attack such a potent force to be reckoned with. “The Jet” still stands as the club’s all-time leader in career 3-point field goal percentage (he and Scott Brooks both hit 40.7 percent of their treys while with the team), and his game-tying 3-pointer to send Game 1 of the 1995 NBA Finals to overtime will not soon be forgotten in Clutch City.

Otis Thorpe

One of the most underrated power forwards of his time, Thorpe was a double-double machine who used his powerful physique and massive hands to gobble up rebounds and trigger the Rockets’ fastbreak with his full-court, baseball-style passes that typically resulted in a bevy of layups and dunks. Thorpe remains the Rockets’ all-time leader in field goal percentage, having hit nearly 56 percent of his shots while with the club.

[TheresTheDagger]

Hakeem
Barkley (need a PF)
Drexler (SF reach but allows me to...)
Elie
Smith

Horry, Cassell, Maxwell, Thorpe all were traded AWAY and spent less time as a Rocket than those listed above.

Thats how I came up with my choices.

[tinman]

Originally Posted by TheresTheDagger Hakeem Barkley (need a PF) Drexler (SF reach but allows me to...) Elie Smith Horry, Cassell, Maxwell, Thorpe all were traded AWAY and spent less time as a Rocket than those listed above. Thats how I came up with my choices.

Drexler played for 4 seasons with the Rockets and 11 seasons with the Blazers.
http://www.basketball-reference.com/...drexlcl01.html

OT and Maxwell, played more seasons as Rockets than Clyde
http://www.basketball-reference.com/...maxweve01.html
http://www.basketball-reference.com/...thorpot01.html

you need to check your facts.

Plus Maxwell didn't get traded, he signed as a free agent

September 26, 1995: Signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia 76ers.

[TheresTheDagger]

Originally Posted by tinman Drexler played for 4 seasons with the Rockets and 11 seasons with the Blazers.

Yes. And?

[Yao11]

Originally Posted by RowdyRicky Are we voting in Barkley for the lulz?

If only we could get every player on that list. I would love to see whether or not Chuck shows up. I'm excited for this night.

[tinman]

Originally Posted by TheresTheDagger Yes. And?

your facts are wrong.

Horry, Cassell, Maxwell, Thorpe all were traded AWAY and spent less time as a Rocket than those listed above.

Maxwell and Thorpe spend MORE TIME as a Rocket , more seasons and more games.




Otis Thorpe
regular season games played as a Rocket:
518

Vernon Maxwell
regular season games played as a Rocket:
402

Clyde Drexler
regular season games played as a Rocket:
219

You're just wrong. that's all.

[Cannonball]

No Pippen?

Hakeem
OT
Clyde
Kenny
Mad Max

[heypartner]

Originally Posted by rockets.com And then Leslie Alexander changed it all. Clutch City began when Alexander became owner, took charge, and injected new leadership and life into this already proud franchise.

Is Rockets.com giving credit for the championships to Les Alexander...as if in one year he took them over the top.

[tinman]

Originally Posted by heypartner Is Rockets.com giving credit for the championships to Les Alexander...as if in one year he took them over the top.

That's total BS. We all know that he inherited a team that was created by Steve Patterson.

[Rockets Jones]

Just like I thought, Vernon and OT cannot even be voted in the top 5 on this board which is supposed to be for Rockets fans.

[Patience]

Arrgh. They all deserve it. How do you choose among Sam Cassell, Kenny Smith, Mario Elie, and Vernon Maxwell?

They were all very important. All hit major clutch shots at various points.

[tinman]

Originally Posted by Rockets Jones Just like I thought, Vernon and OT cannot even be voted in the top 5 on this board which is supposed to be for Rockets fans.

You wonder why I always talk about Clutch City?
It's about education. the real facts and real stories.

[Rockets Jones]

Originally Posted by Patience Arrgh. They all deserve it. How do you choose among Sam Cassell, Kenny Smith, Mario Elie, and Vernon Maxwell? They were all very important. All hit major clutch shots at various points.

Easy, look at their careers with the Rockets and you get Kenny & Vernon. Cassell is my top 10 fav players of all time but I didn't vote for him because he was here just three years and didn't have the impact Kenny had. Elie was a solid defender, had the kiss of death but other then that Vernon was better and had more important shots and plays.

[tinman]

Originally Posted by Rockets Jones Easy, look at their careers with the Rockets and you get Kenny & Vernon. Cassell is my top 10 fav players of all time but I didn't vote for him because he was here just three years and didn't have the impact Kenny had. Elie was a solid defender, had the kiss of death but other then that Vernon was better and had more important shots and plays.

People here have the abbreviated version of Kenny Smith,
the dude who jacks up a bunch of 3s against Orlando and the TNT guy.

They don't know about the 17.7 points and 7.1 assists and 52% from the field Kenny from 91.

http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=135984

[Patience]

Originally Posted by tinman People here have the abbreviated version of Kenny Smith, the dude who jacks up a bunch of 3s against Orlando and the TNT guy. They don't know about the 17.7 points and 7.1 assists and 52% from the field Kenny from 91. http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=135984

For the record, I voted for Kenny too.

2 reasons:
1) tenure
2) if Kenny hadn't "jack[ed] up a bunch of 3s against Orlando", the Rockets may not have won that series at all.

[tinman]

Originally Posted by Patience For the record, I voted for Kenny too. 2 reasons: 1) tenure 2) if Kenny hadn't "jack[ed] up a bunch of 3s against Orlando", the Rockets may not have won that series at all.

he was important against Utah in 94.

27 points in game 1 of the WCF
http://www.basketball-reference.com/...405230HOU.html
25 points in game 4 of the WCF
http://www.basketball-reference.com/...405290UTA.html

They just don't replay these games as much as Orlando Game 1

[CDrex]

Clyde, Horry, and Kenny are shoo-ins to me. Maybe all more for symbolic value than statistical achievement, but **** it. I was a kid in the 90s, symbolic value is about all I have.

Choosing between the rest for a single spot killed me. Finally punched in Thorpe but I'm not going to attempt to justify it, because we all know we love all these guys and any of them could make it without angering too many people.