[video]Sampson VS Olajuwon

man, that's Bill Worrell. I did not know he's been calling games for that long.

Oh, and that's a sick block by Akeem on 7'4 Ralph at the 1:20 mark.

Sick pass by Sampson at 2:15

 

The game was better then!

 

I remember watching all these games on HSE on my parents humongous satellite that took up the whole backyard. There will never be another Dream he played that way every single game you just knew he'd get the big shot or big block !!!!!! My all-time favorite player.

 

Absolutely the players were so much more respectful and it was more team play than hero ball.

 

Great find. Man, I loved Ralph as a player and he deserved a better career. Too bad about the knee.

He still had flashes even in that game but was just too much damaged goods to maintain it.

I still bemoan what could have been with the original Twin Towers dynasty that wasn't...

 

It was a great era for Rockets basketball, far too short.

 

Wow... great video. Sleepy Floyd, Purvis Short, even George Karl out there and I think I saw Larry Smith.

 

Dont forget "The Blade", Buck Johnson

 

Man, just what could have been with Ralph and Hakeem. Too bad Ralph didn't stat healthy. If they could have made it into their prime together, we could have put anybody around them and would have won multiple championships. More than the two we have. Bulls who?

 

I beg to differ. Not enough 3s. Too many mid-range shots.

 

I don't think it was more "respectful". Players are way more friendly today than they used to be.

And I'd say the Rockets were innovators as far as emphasizing the "hero ball" concept. Rudy pretty much invented it by iso-ing Hakeem and surrounding him with a bunch of shooters. The league reacted by moving in the 3-pt line (Rockets won their 2nd title under these conditions and gave the finger to the league in the process). Rudy then hero-balled with Barkley. The league tried to neutralize that by making illegal the "4 guys on one side of the floor" tactic. Undeterred, Rudy kept hero-balling it with Francis. The league changed the rules YET AGAIN with their 5-second iso rule.

So, to sum up, the Rockets (via Rudy) basically invented "hero ball", the term pansies/Lin fans so vehemently detest.

 

Young MJ defined hero ball

 

Wow! The game was refereed very differently and dare I say better. Sampson didn't play scared. Not many players went at Hakeem like that.

 

I remember 4th grade waiting til my parents fell asleep and sneaking back into the living room to watch Bill Worell on HSE or channel 20 doing the Rockets games on the west coast. Got caught once

 

This is the truth. After him, all the young kids aspired to be Jordan. So they always try for the spectacular play or try to take the game over.

 

Where is the hannah storm sighting?

 

Damn. Can Dream suit up for us next season?