You only hate the good players, the Padgetts and the Lewis's are ignored. In the past, the great rivalry between the two teams, has caused a lot of hate between the fans. When I see people calling other players names, I know their argument is baseless. When you can't prove it with facts, the only thing you have left is the name calling. BTW, 17 years staight to the playoffs.
97-98 And before someones says: ya, you lost in the finals... ...remember if Jordan had not retired (the first time) you would not of had a championship. The Jazz have never had a lottery pick. Never. (We would not even have the lottery, if it was not for Houston.) flame away, I've seen enough.
Were the Jazz not playing the years Jordan was retired? Oh that's right, they lost to the Rockets both times. OOPS! Woulda, coulda, shoulda... 17 years and counting.
Notty: I guarantee you that Malone and Stockton would have gladly accepted NBA Champions' rings in the 2 seasons that Jordan did not play a full season, i.e. the Rockets back-to-back championship seasons. The fact that the Rockets eliminated the Jazz in both of those seasons is sweeter than the Jazz eliminating us in '97 and '98, especially in '95. The reason why is because we went on to win a championship. However, you are just sticking up for Malone. No one can find fault for that. I would stick up for him, too if he played on the Rockets.
Oh? And how can you prove that? How do you know that the Rockets wouldn't have beaten the Bulls? The Rockets were practically the only team to have a winning record against the Bulls in the 90s. The fact remains that the Jazz have ZERO titles, and the Rockets have two. You can't change that statistic. Rockets: 2, Jazz: 0
Ahhh...the quest for some balls begins. Lemme tell ya, being in the lottery is a humbling experience. Yes, since you have never been in it, let me depict a few things for you. During haltime of an NBA on NBC telecast, your palms start sweating as they show your GM or coach behind a podium with your logo on it. When the lottery begins, you pray David Stern will grab one of your balls. Sometimes you have 5 balls, sometimes hundreds. You just hope he'll put his hands on one of 'em. As the white envelopes appear, you apprehensively stare at Stern until he uncloses the contents. Then, you sigh in frustration when your team is not the 3rd pick. Hoping for the next one, you groan when you don't have #2. Then, when you don't get number one, you have a bittersweet feeling cause you realize the Bulls must pick fourth again, after the league's worst record in the season before.
•hmmm....Maybe the fact the only years the Rockets could win the Bulls, was when Jordan was retired, proves it. •Of couse, if the Rockets had not dumped two seasons, to get two stright number one picks (Sampson=traded for Drexler, and Olijuwan) They would never of made theplayoffs (did you know that Houston was responsibly for the NBA instituting the lottery because of this inappropriate action?) •If you think a ring is the only measure of greatness, then I guess Barkley, Ewing, Baylor, Miller etc. are worth less than Steve Kerr. •And I guess Olijuwan is a much worse player than Purdue. (more rings). Sorry the ring argument does not hold water. Malone (#2 all time scorer top 5 rebounder) and Stockton (#1 assist, #1 steals) only problem was lack of good free agents to help them. Utah does not attract the good free agents, also they peaked at the same time the Bulls did. •btw, the Jazz had the best record in the 90's, San Antonio was second. Check it out if you do not believe me.
1. In the 90's. Read it carefully. 2. So? What's your reason for bitterness? Are you jealous of us nabbing Dream or something? 3. Oh shut up. We're talking star players here. Kerr was a role player. Stars are leaders. And that's why we're talking smack about Karla and Flopton being championship-less. 4. 5. See #3 6. Geez, I believe you. But it's the postseason that really matters. Don't believe me? Ask your beloved starting pg and pf.
I love it when losers appeal to another team to bring their opponent down. What were those playoff tallys between the Jazz and Rockets the year of the Rocket rings? Hmmm??? Not even an elbow by Malone or a nugget slap by Stockton could offset that. Now ponder the record between the Bulls and Rockets from 91 - 93 when Jordan was playing... what was it??? 5-1 for the Rockets? And don't even pretend that Stockton and Malone have any class. I live in Salt Lake. I've watched several dozen games from the 8th row, a few from the 3rd. I've seen enough up close & first hand to know that neither player is worth his weight in ball sweat.
The Rockets would not have been stopped by the Bulls with Jordan in either of their championship years. The Bulls matched up horribly with the Rockets. Why? Two words...Hakeem Olajuwon. Lets take a look at the teams the Bulls beat for their championships. 1991 - Lakers - Center: Rookie Divac/Perkins 1992 - Blazers - Center: Duckworth? 1993 - Suns - Center: Tisdale? Kleine? 1996 - Sonics - Center: Cage? Perkins again? Ervin Johnson? McIlvane? not sure, either way they sucked 1997 - Jazz - Center: Ostertag 1998 - Jazz - Center: Ostertag What do these teams have in common? NO dominant center. Hakeem would have eaten Luc Longley alive, right after he finished off killing other teams in his mvp 1993 season. (Should have been mvp in 94. Ask the winner David Robinson) And what do you know, MJ returned the next season that we also won and who did his team lose to? The Magic, led by who? That's right...Shaquille O'neal, who later quoted after the finals defeat "Hakeem dusted my butt..."
So your point is that Barkley, Baylor, Ewing and Miller and all the others were not stars? Chamberlin had to leave his team, and go to another, so he could get his ring. Stockton and Malone never did. (there choice) I did read it carefully, the Jazz had a winning record over the Bulls in the 90's also. Just not in the finals...like you. The difference? I LIKE other teams and their players. I like Barkley, even when he throws people out of bar windows. I think Houston has done a good job rebuilding, I even said so on my site. The real question is why call Malone names, if it is not out of jelousy. Name calling shows a lack of knowledge. Tell me how other players out play Karl and Stockton. That we can discuss. So far all many of you have shown me is your hatred of the Jazz. (and you ability to call other teams players names.) (btw, the original discussion was about Scott and Malone. Malone stepped between the two fighting players. Scott came out onto the floor, (big no-no) pushed Malone first (another big no-no, coaches are not allowed to touch other teams players, or come onto the floor), and when Malone started pushing him away, he started the name calling. I saw the game, I have it on tape. Malone tried to break up Crotty and Martin. It was no big deal.)
Achebe I also saw the Rockets in Houston. The trio of Olijuwan, Drexler and Barkley were great. Even though I hated it, when they beat the Jazz, I am still fan enough to recognize great players. Name calling is for children, talk basketball to me.
Notty: You are right about a lot of things, but the fact still remains that for the Rockets to win their 2 championships, they had to beat the Utah Jazz to get there. 1995 had to really hurt because your team set an all-time record in wins, were up 2-1, and led by 12 in the 4th quarter of Game 5 at the Delta Center. No team comes back down that many in that place, but the '95 Rockets did. You could possibly say big deal if the Rockets had not won the championship in those 2 seasons, but they did. When the Jazz went to the finals, they lost. It didn't matter that it was to the Bulls and MJ...a loss is still a loss and a win is still a win. So, I'll gladly take 2 championships over 17 straight playoff appearances (which don't get me wrong is impressive) any day of the week.
Notty what you fail to understand is that nobody gives a damn how many games Malone and Flopton have played or how many points they've scored. You want to compare these two thugs to other stars without titles but the difference is that Malone and Flopton are cheap shot artists and punks. How many times have players been injured from a Karla Malone cheap shot? Better yet, how many players have been knocked unconscious by someone OTHER than Karla? THAT is why people hate him and I'm not even touching the stupid things he's said over the years. I think you're showing a lack of "knowledge" if you really believe anybody outside of Utah cares what Malone and Flopton do statistically.
I don't think I've ever read anywhere on this bbs where someone said Stockton and Malone had no talent. Most of us here are very knowledgable about basketball, and yes those two are two of the greatest of all time. Those two are dirty. They play dirty. Cheap shot artists and flop artists is what they are. As for our two titles, so what if MJ wasn't playing? Personally, I think the Rockets would have beaten them both times. MJ should thank his lucky endorsements that he never had to face the Rockets.
