Which Rocket's team was the all time best? I was listening to the *ss Clowns on 610 and they stated that the '86 Celtics were the best Champions of all time. I thought That team was a dirty play [fight between Sampson and Sh*tStin] and some VERY questionable calls . . from loosing to the Houston Rockets. The '86 Rockets were a D*MN GOOD TEAM Rocket River
Well ya gotta go with the 94-95 champs cuz they beat the the 57+win teams and 60 win teams (wutever it was) hadn't been done before. They were so good, they'd sweep the 03 Spurs easy. I think that the 04, 05, 06 Rockets and so on will be really special though. We will be winning a championship soon.
It should be 93-93 rocket, they started the season 15-0, tying an NBA record then come playoff time they took care of business surviving Phoenix and NY. As a team, they were deep enough and the leadership of hakeem, otis, Mad max and kenny smith took them to the top.
I have to go with 1986, as well. And note, that they beat LA and went 6 with the Celtics with no PG. imo, 1986 was Magic's best team (defending champion going for the first repeat since Bill Russell, which would have proven to be the 2nd out of 4 Laker's wins in a row), and also Larry Bird's best team, making that two of best teams ever. discounting Bill Russell's team (pick your favorite). imo, it goes like this: 1. 1983 76ers 2. 1986 Celtics 3. 1986 Lakers And the Rockets crushed that 3rd team in a huge surprise. Hakeem leading the 1986 Rockets to 2nd that year is equal to Duncan's asterix year win, imo, as far as measuring their dominance in each other's second year in the NBA.
The saddest part of that 86 championship series was watching Ralph Sampson bounce bricks off the backboard in game 6. He was totally intimidated by the Celtics crowd. They were brutal and he curled up like a baby in a womb.
Gotta go with 86. What is scary, is the fact that we lost a main cog and still beat the Lakers and almost beat the Celtics. Only two things stood in the way of a dynasty: 1) Ralph's injuries and 2) Drug problems. Damn its depressing wondering how good that team could have been. 81 team was almost a freak thing. They were not a great team, but played their best when it counted. 94 team was good, but not what I would call great. Team played with a ton of heart, even though it was not grossly talented. 95 team was a great team. Its not far off from the 86 team IMO. Lucas > Smith Reid < Drexler McCray > Elie Sampson > Horry Olajuwon < Olajuwon Cassell, Brown, Chilcutt, Murry < Lloyd, Petersen, Wiggins, Leavell Gimme the 86 team definitely.
Sweet Lew was the starting 2 that year and he averaged over 16 points a game while shooting over 50% from the field with that two handed jumper of his. When Sweet Lew was stroking it, it was all over.
Does anyone remember the Rockets post game talk show with Tom Franklin? There was a caller who talked about Black Magic after every game. He was finally banned.
That's always been my thinking. Top to bottom, that was our best team. It just so happened that we ran into one of the best teams in the history of the game in the 86 Smelltics. Sort of like Earl's Oilers running into the steelers. The 81 team was 42-40 in the regular season but caught fire in the playoffs. The 94 team had one of the top 5 centers of all time in his prime completmented with the perfect blend of role players. The 95 team was the same with a rejuvenated Drexler playing like he was 22 again. Best playoff run ever IMO.
I need one of the old-timers (sorry guys) who remembers that '86 finals to verify something a friend told me. Did Larry Bird average a triple-double in that series?
That 86 cemented me to the Rockets forever. Sweet Lew Mitch Wiggin Lucas [pg?] SAMPSON McCRAY OLAJUWON WHEW!! those guys could ball Rocket River
OK, I found it out on my own. Larry Bird averaged 24 ppg, 9.7 rpg, and 9.5 apg in that 6 game series. That has to be one of the greatest stat lines I've ever seen! I wish I could've been old enough to comprehend basketball at the time because that must've been a great series to watch. How the hell did the Rockets take them to 6 with a Bird playing that good?
Yep. Don't ya know it! That 83 sixers team was arguably the best assembled team ever. As far as the Celtics. Bird himself said that his 86 team was HIS best team. With all our post dominance, in the end, the 86 Rox were just outsmarted by Bird. I actually liked the 95 Drexler/Hakeem duo better than the 86 Sampson/Akeem duo. It's just too bad that Drexler and Hakeem couldn't have played their careers together during the 80's.
I had always heard that in 86, Kevin Mchale was signing autographs for kids at the airport and writing "Rockets suck" on all of them. I never knew if it was true or just an urban myth. Wouldn't surprise me if it were true.
i voted 94/95 rockets...but clearly i don't mean the regular season rockets that year. that playoff team that year could have beaten anyone. when a team clicks like that...which is VERY rare...matchups don't matter. On paper, they didn't appear to match up with any of the teams they beat...they just beat them. Ultimately beating Orlando like a freaking drum. I'm tempted to put 86...that was a gutty team...but I think it was too young...if that team had stayed around for the 87 season, my answer might be entirely different. And Rockets history would be entirely different, too.
We had 3 former #1 picks in Lucas, Dream, and Sampson. Remember Sampson was going to change the way the game was played. Dream was unstoppable in the paint with the aggressiveness only Amare exhibits today. Kind of like I'm going to dunk on you no matter who you are. McCray was a #3 pick. Robert Reid was the #2 guy on the 81 team that went to the finals. And my favorite player on that team, Sweet Lew, could shoot lights out from 20 feet in.
Since you are obviously a Bulls fan, you should at least know the Bulls won in 91,92, and 93. Rockets 94,95. Bulls 96,97,98. S.A. 99. L.A. 00,01,02. S.A. 03.
