In about 1993 alot of kids at my highschool were collecting basketball cards. I didnt much care for the game, but I saw there was some money to be made so I started to get a collection togeather. The first pack I brought was a good one, Michael Jordan Skylight along with a few other players I knew of. Look at the back of these cards one player with a weird name stood out...Hakeem Olajuwon. He played for a team called the Rockets as did a few other players I got in that first pack (Robert Horry and Kenny Smith. I knew NOTHING about the team, but I decided right there I was a Rockets fan. I would later find out they had won the NBA Championship while selling a few cards to people.....thankfully I didnt miss any of that second Championship run. Since that day I decided to make some money on basketball cards I must have spent close on $1000 buying Rockets cards with my best one being an Hakeem Olajuwon emossed Gold card. I have not collected cards for years now, but I still have that first Olajuwon card and my Rockets collection is on of the special things I own. Christopher (Sydney Australia)
Just thought of something that's buried somewhere deep in my videotape collection.... Who remembers that hilarious "Rocket Strut" video made during the 86 playoff run? It was right after practice one day. McCray stiff/dry as a board,Leavell in flip flops,and best of all Lewis Lloyd in hideous red slacks with matching red shoes! One by one,the whole team,YES ALL OF THEM, took turns strutting down the paint from the free throw line rapping,sort of, to the "Rocket Strut".
Sitting on a ninja turtles beanbag chair, sipping a Barq's rootbeer, in front of our 21" tv, game agains the hawks, i think we won. I would imitate on my little door-hanging basketball hoop every shot hakeem made. I was six
I swear to God I love reading this stuff...I a way it gives me a bit of what I missed not growing up in the city I rooted for...One further question, if you don't mind... The greatest city-wide experiences of my life, by a mile, were when the Jays won the ALCS/World Series back to back years, especially the 1st ALCS...I don't know how many of you remember Alomar's shot off of Eckersley, but I went nuts, and when we won the series, the whole city just went wild...Our main street is Yonge St., and it ( and others) were completely shut down for the entire night by spontaneous celebration...Just waves and waves of hysterical, generous, and warm humanity flowing into each other, grabbing, hugging, kissing, laughing...it was electric. By the World Series, to be honest, it seemed to me to be a little more pre-meditated, a little less about sharing and more about having a party and meeting chicks, if you know what I mean...But the 1st time...I'll never forget it...So what I want to know is, what was it like to be in Houston,on the nights we won the whole damn thing...Toronto went bezerk, and we had won Stanley Cups, etc. before, but as I understand it, the city of Houston had never won before the Rockets, so it must have been incredible, just an outpouring...Would you guys be willing to relive some of your experiences for those of us who only saw it on tv?
JAG- after both Finals wins there was some freaky $hit going down on Richmond. Packed with people for hours it seamed. This is what I saw on the news. I was not old enough to drive for either of the Championships so I was at home yelling like a crazy idiot. Like I always do when watching the Rockets It was pretty sweet after the second win my buddy came and got me in his Ford Ranger and we had some brooms and we were driving around through the neighborhoods yelling and blairing 740 and 104 (they had some championship thing) out of his speakers that we put in the bed. Oh that was the best. Man I remember begging my mom during the playoffs both years to order the pay per view home games. I was always coming up with a scheme to pay her back or do some chores to pay for it. The Toronto Blue Jays scene you are describing reminds me of Major League when they win and everyone is going ape$hit at the bar. I plan on being down on Richmond after we win the next Finals in 2004.
