I disliked the Sonics because they were just good and played illegal defense to stop Olajuwon and the Rockets. That and GP never stopped yapping with that smile that looked like the back end of a baboon. I despised the Jazz because they were cheating bastards and had that son of Satan at PF and the disciple of Death at PG. Just a roguish combo. I still hate Utah to this day, so for me, it would be them by a mile. If you weren't around for those years, imagine the hatred for the Warriors and magnify it 50x, then pour gasoline on it, set it on fire, step into it, let it engulf you, but put the fire out before it kills you, pour salt and vinegar all over the wounds, then live with the pain the rest of your life. That's Jazz hatred to me. I despise that team. Which is weird, because when I went there everybody was nice to me, but I think they were up to something. Didn't trust nary a one... BTW, one of my favorite NBA moments was when I realized both Malone and Stockton would retire ringless... there truly is a God.
Fan since 86. Seattle is my choice. Perkins always stretched dream out of the lane and Kenny Smith was Payton’s little servant. I am not convinced we would have got past them in 94 or 95 for that matter. Some teams just have other teams number (Phoenix anyone). BUUUT. We did finally beat those pricks when we got Barkley. Unfortunately we couldn’t beat the jazzholes after that. F’ing John Stockton buzzer beater. The only morsel of satisfaction I get is we have two trophies and I don’t see any in Utah’s case. So Malone and Stockton and Tom, start the clock chamber, can kiss my waste dispenser.
My father bought season tickets back in 1972, so I grew up in that era. Spurs was the number 1 rival since they were right down the road. "The Iceman" George Gervin caused many a Rockets loss. As far as playoff rival, the most heated string of series was the Sonics. They were loaded - Gary Peyton defense, Sedale Threatt, Shawn Kemp was a monster, Detlef Schrempf was a multi-talented big man, they had a young and healthy Tom Chambers. They even had a young Eddie Johnson. That was great basketball rivalry. Great physical basketball.
I've always looked at our '90s playoffs against the Sonics the same way I do our regular season games against the Bulls. We had no answer for the Sonics and they thumped us, possibly costing us titles in '93 and '96. Had we gotten past Seattle in either of those years, we likely would've been in the finals against the Bulls, who had no answer for us. We could've been looking at a 4peat if not for those bastards. Still, I didn't hate them. My hate has been most directed at the Jazz and the Warriors (Draymond is Satan incarnate).
Your brother was right that Seattle was our toughest match up. But I don't think there was any team the Rockets hated like the Jazz. And I still hate those Jazz teams til' this day. And it doesn't help that Karl Malone impregnated a 13 year old when he was in College. Pedophile.
That's Rockets legend Billy Paultz who represented Houston in 7 playoff series playing his last year in the NBA with the only team that would sign him. He is not a Jazz like other Jazz are Jazz and rookie pre-at-peace-with-himself Dream was a little out of line here.
It's the Jazz. They even haunted us during the YaoMac Era. It was so frustrating to watch us lose to that team, to be unable to stop a guy like Mehmet ****ing Okur was infuriating because we were definitely the better team. But they were just a bad matchup for us.
Seattle had our number for the longest time until we acquired Charles Barkley…,,, They we’re a tough squad for us to match up. We had Utah’s number for the longest time until that flipped in 1997…Utah leaned into dissing out cheap fouls so much that regs stopped calling them. Also, they were famous for moving picks….
Maybe so, but it's still fun to watch because the Whopper is in a Jazz uni. And I remember Paultz had been getting away with fouling (H)Akeem that day. Plus, he was totally not expecting that punch.
I started watching the Rockets in 1990. To me the Jazz and that dirty little evil leprechaun in short shorts Stockton were the worst. They all played dirty but especially him. He is the only player I hoped would get hurt and wouldn’t feel bad about it. I will always hate the Jazz and their terrible fans.
Such a damn good era of basketball!! I can feel the feels now of the excitement and intensity of those days. It's just all gone now. Nothing like it was then.
Rockets should have won the series against Seattle in 93. The Rockets were up in Game 7 with a couple of mins left. The momentum had shifted to the Rockets side as they stormed back from behind to lead it. Just as they got the lead all of a sudden the lights go out in the arena and the game gets delayed by 15-20 mins giving the Sonics time to recoup. They win it by 3 and that’s history. If not for this the Rockets would have faced the Bulls in the next round of the finals giving fans the ultimate matchup of the decade. But I think that loss pushed the rockets to step up their game in 94 to win it all.
