ESPN.com The best and worst of Houston over the past 25 years: Overall winning percentage: .505 (17th) Best year: 1986 The Rockets upset the Lakers in the Western Conference playoffs and reached the NBA Finals against the Celtics. The Astros won the NL West, before losing to the Mets in a thrilling NCLS. The Oilers ... well, the Oilers went 5-11, but it was still a good year. Worst year: 1983 All three teams had losing records in 1984, but 1983 takes the cake even though the Astros were 85-77. Why? The Rockets were an embarrassing 14-68 and the Oilers a woeful 2-14. Best moment: Mike Scott clinching the West division title with a no-hitter in '86 was exciting, but the Rockets' 90-84 win over the Knicks in Game 7 of the '94 NBA Finals -- the team's first NBA title -- gets the nod. Worst moment: Houston has had more than its share of agony, from painful losses in the NLCS in 1980 and '86, to the Oilers blowing a 35-3 lead to the Bills in a 1993 playoff game, to the University of Houston losing to N.C. State in the 1983 NCAA championship. Click here to see which moment Page 2 vote No. 1. Best team: 1994 Rockets (58-24) Led by MVP Hakeem Olajuwon's 27.3 points per game, the Rockets finished with the NBA's second-best record. With top seed Seattle losing in the first round, the Rockets had an easier trip to the NBA Finals, although they had a tough seven-game series against Phoenix in the West semis. They then beat the Knicks, capturing Games 6 and 7 at home to win it all. Worst team: 1983 Rockets (14-68) The 1982 Rockets had gone 46-36 and reached the playoffs. What happened? Moses Malone was traded to the 76ers, Robert Reid missed the entire season, and Elvin Hayes and Calvin Murphy got old. Best individual season: Hakeem Olajuwon, 1994 Jeff Bagwell was phenomenal in 1994 (39 HRs, 116 RBI, .368, .451 OBP, .750 slugging) and was the unanimous NL MVP -- except he loses points since it was a strike season. But the vote goes to Olajuwon, who not only was MVP (27.3 ppg, 11.9 rpg) but led the Rockets to the NBA title. What makes that even more impressive is that of the greatest centers in NBA history, only one has won an NBA title without a fellow Hall of Famer on the roster -- Olajuwon.
Didn't know if this has already been posted, but it was on our espn team site http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/espn25/story?page=city/houston
damn, it's pretty bad when you've had so many bad moments that they can't even single one out. and 92-93 may have been hakeem's real best season ever, but i'll let it slide. nice list.
I my mind, either 94 or 95 was the best year. I understand the Oilers and Astros went nowhere those years, but having one championship team balanced by two other sucky teams tops having three teams make it to the finals, only to lose.
