The ONLY reason the Sampson shot isn't #1 for me is because a lot of people forget that we were up 3-1 at the time and we probably would have still won the series had that shot not happened. But it's DEFINITELY a close #2. I still remember watching that shot up in my room on a black and white TV with rabbit ears. I think it was after midnight Houston time and I started shouting so loud that my parents came up and thought someone had broken in and was trying to kill me. They were seriously ready to call 911. True story. My #1 has to be Maxwell's 3 against the knicks. Why that shot? Because it was at that very moment that I finally realized we were about to win our first major championship in the city of Houston. Not once did I ever feel like it was really going to happen.....until that shot went in. What an amazing feeling that was. After so many years of coming so close in all 3 sports (4 if you count Phi Slamma Jamma), we were FINALLY going to do it. I had the TV muted and was listening to Geno and Jim on the radio. Still remember Geno saying "ohhhh my goodness my goodness my goodness...." He wasn't screaming, he was just in shock. I think it took him a minute to comprehend what that shot meant to the entire city.
I think my user name pretty much sums what my most favorite moment was Kenny's 3 against the magic and Horry's 2 (his only FG that game) against the spurs are up there too
That was a great, great play, with an incredible length of the court pass from Meta World Peace (Ron, I’ll never get used to that). Definitely on my list of great Rockets plays, especially when you toss in the context. Against an historical enemy in the playoffs. We were the only team to take LA to 7 games, and they went on to win another championship. A series full of “what if’s.” Both teams winning on the other’s home court, the Rockets stunning the Lakers at Staples in game one setting the tone. I loved that team. We had players with hearts the size of Harris County. There was no quit in them.
Was the first one that I thought of. Also, I was finishing up 7th grade at the time. I loved Ralph. I always kinda secretly pulled for him to be as good as Olajuwon. I hated the way Sampsons career fizzled.
Anyone that watched the "Kiss of Death" as it happened, will have that play burned into their memory for ever. The timing, the implications of what was at stake, etc. To me, it's the most important shot in Rockets history as the team finally broke through and went all the way.
The Vernon Maxwell shot where we all knew we had won our first Championship this city ever had. I fell to the floor at the same time Vernon did.
For Kiss of Death, I had to leave to get to a wedding so Mario hit it while I was on the lower deck of I-35, radio cut out and came back in as he hit it, I nearly wrecked. *i was in the wedding
There have been some mentions, but for me it's all about context. The context for that shot was that we ended up losing the series, so it's not really etched into my memory like some of the others.
Sorry for the double post, but I can't get enough of these "where were you when..." topics. Really? That's funny because I was in a wedding that day too. I was the best man and me and the rest of the groomsmen (and groom) grabbed a couple of bottles of champagne and snuck out of the reception to go listen to the 4th quarter in the parking garage. Reception was at the top of an office building with no TVs. Good times.
