I was in Japan in the Navy. I was on my 1st deployment. Went to a few ports, but the one I remember the most was Hong Kong. We anchored out 1 month before the change-over back to Chinese rule. Were were at Mad Dog's in Kowloon when I saw Utah cheat...I mean,...beat the Rox on Stockton's 3. I had to buy the next 2 rounds...
I was 22 years old and working my way through school at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, TX.....about an hour north of Houston. I had been bleeding Rocket red for 11+ years and actually got in fist fights in high school defending the Rockets against Bulls fans. (I was a little crazy.) After the sweet redemption of back to back titles, I was crushed in '96 but was positive that the new pajama uniforms were to blame. (Seriously, has any professional sports team in history EVER changed their uniforms the year after a championship? Worst move ever.) I knew '97 was the comeback year and that the Big 3 would deliver another title, this time against the Bulls, which would have been the ultimate answer to the question we all still argue about today. So when Stockton hit that 3.......yeah. I don't even have to describe how that felt. If you were there, you knew. How about this for a kicker......2 days after that game, my fiancee' of 3 years dumped me. I'd like to see someone top that. Talk about a dark summer. If it wasn't for Jesus, I wouldn't have gotten through that summer. Seriously.
I was 21, in college and trying to figure my life out. I was sitting in California watching the Rockets finally beat Seattle and then I was home in Houston for that awful Utah series, and just stared at the TV in disbelief after game 6. I was also posting here, of course.
I was 8 yrs old living in India never having watched or played basketball, 2 years later after moving to the USA, my love for basketball began.
I was 12 year old kid crying when John Stockton hit a three over Fat boy! That was hard to get over as Rockets were alot harder to get over back then than they are now
OK please read my entire post before you judge me. Now I was around 8 years old, and had purchased an NBA Superstars book. In the book was a life-sized poster of Karl Malone...(remember, I was just 8! A 6'9" poster of any NBA player was pretty cool to me). So I had the poster up in my room, and at the time I didn't really have the Jazz hate in me as I do now. So the Rockets vs Jazz series starts...I'm watching every game by my Dad's side wearing pajama jersey...This is probably the first time I felt emotionally attached to the team, and watching Johnson hit that game winner in Game 4 really got my hopes up for another Finals appearance. The series continues, and I was really hurt after the Rockets lost in Game 5. I went in my room, and wrote UTAH SUCKS! GO ROCKETS! on my Malone poster. I even tore a few holes on the poster out of anger. That night I prayed. Here I was, an 8 year old kid praying that the Rockets beat the Jazz. As we all know Stockton ended up hitting that 3 to eliminate us. That Malone poster came down the same day, and I finally realized what hating the Jazz felt like. My heroes were defeated, and those Evil villains were the Utah Jazz...but another hero with the number 23 was able to balance out the NBA universe...and that's 0 Jazz rings vs Everybody Else.
Good to see the old crew is alive and well! Two things... One, you guys can see the most catastrophic moment of the last 10 years? Has come up on this thread over and over... That shot by Stockton was the beginning of the end. Two, do what I do: I sometimes just sit back and get goosebumps listening to our glorious past. I never thought we would be wishing so much to go back to the mid 90's. It was just a great, great time to be a Rockets fan. Just thinking about it I get misty eyed. Kiss of Death 4 Ever! EDDIE AT THE BUZZER....YEEEESSS! OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH MOTHER!!!!! I love this franchise.
in '97 I was 29, had just gotten promoted at work and had just bought my first home. The Rockets were still clinging to greatness and hoping to compete for it all once again. It was a good time. I was a huge fan back then, but got tickets only when my sister in law had extras. I did know a cool vendor that knew I was a big fan, and got to go to a game in the Seattle series. I remember the Stockton shot, sitting there knowing it was going in the second he pulled up. Barkley's butt was too big for him to get to him and way to big for him to get off the ground with a hand to contest. I sat there, agape, for what seemed like 10 minutes, but I know for sure I turned it off before that... sickened.
I was living in Baytown Texas, had just bought a new home. If I remember correctly, we swept the T-Wolves in 3, beat Gary Payton, and Shaun Kemp's Seattle Supersonics in 7, Then came the Nightmare Stockton 3 On the illegal moving pick by cheater Malone to loose game 7. That season ended with my face burried in the sofa cushion screaming as loud as I could. Other than that 97 was a great year.
I remember it like it was yesterday. I remember I was at my mom's apt, and I was in the middle school. I was in her room watching the game, and when that ball left stocken hands, I knew it was going in because he was wide-azz open. I ran all around that apt...I was mad az hell at barkley for a long time. That broke my heart
