[DimeMag] John Starks - What Really Happened In The 1994 NBA Finals

If anyone wants to watch key parts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWlv2C-iRRQ

:grin: Makes me happy to see this again.

 

Dream gave everyone nightmares. :grin:

 

I love Maxwell as a basketball player but Starks owned Maxwell except for game 7 and some moments in game 2 & 3. It wasn't Max's defense that caused Starks cold shooting night as probably some in here would argue.

 

Actually, Harper was one of the best defensive PG's in the league at the time. Remember the hand-check?

No one will ever know if Starks shot was going in or not because even in super slow-mo, Hakeem got it before you could tell if it was a good shot or not. Could've swished, could of air-balled. We'll never know.

I like to think it was an airball, otherwise I would have to come to terms with the fact that we were that close to not winning that series.

 

Weird, I like to think it was going in, and that Olajuwon saved us with one of the greatest plays in history.

 

I have always felt it was the best play in Rockets history at least. A big man coming that far out to block a shot, with the stakes that high. Clutch.

 

Bad gas from Pizzeria lol

 

yep I like to think the shot was going in and Olajuwon saved us for losing another NBA finals, and that way bring his legend higher.

 

The block was incredible, whether it was going to go in, or not. Simply incredible. That was one of the all time great plays in playoff history, as far as I'm concerned, and I've been watching them a long time.

 

Olajuwon is god.

 

Indeed, although he wouldn't care for our sentiment. I started following the Rockets after they drafted Elvin Hayes, and Hakeem is not only the greatest Rockets player ever, but the greatest player, bar none, that I've ever seen. Knowing how they both turned out as NBA players, I wouldn't hesitate to draft the Dream over Jordan. Everyday, and twice on Sundays.

 

I remember game 6 thinking how disappointed the Rockets got down 3-2 to the Knicks. I think I underestimated the Knicks before that series because I thought the Rockets were going to walk all over them, and couldn't believe they had 2 close-out games against the Knicks.

The Derek Harper aquisition mid-season by the Knicks was awesome, and looking back at their team, they were really good (obviously).

I guess I was on such a high that the Rockets made the Finals and Hakeem was playing so great, that I made the assumption there was no way the Knicks would have won.

 

The Knicks were a terrific team that season and had an excellent coach for the roster they had. You're right about Harper. I've never understood why that series was described as "ugly." Maybe it's because I'm a fan of the Rockets, but I was on pins and needles the entire time. Ewing was a damn good center, who would lay waste to the current crop in the league, excepting one or two guys, like Howard, and Ewing had the offensive game Howard struggles with. The dude also sweated more than any player I can remember! It just poured off of the dude in buckets.

 

All I know is it look very much like his other shots that had gone down and I had a split-second of anal tightening until I saw the ball lose trajectory. From the live feed, you couldn't really tell if Olajuwon got it or not and in fact, it didn't look like it to me at the time. Plus, being a Houston fan I was kind of expecting it to go down... but Dream did get it and after a couple of replays, I absolutely knew the Rockets would win Game 7. It was even more sweet because of the criticism he took for coming out at the end of the NC St. game.

 

lol that isnt from game 6.. unless the rockets wore road jerseys for a home game..

im sure this is the block