If Jordan did not retire those two years, would Houston have won?

Locking is too good for this thread.

 

One should know this is a sensitive topic. I am pretty sure this has been discussed before on this board.

I have MJ's first book, I think it's "For the love of the game". MJ mentioned this topic too. Here is what he said (not exact quote):

I know if I want to be remembered as a great player, I have to beat Magic or Bird to championship when at least one of them is still in his prime. Well, maybe not after I won six championships. But back then, it is. Look at Houston, people said they won the two championships because I wasn't around. It is not fair, but that is the way people thinks.

 

wasn't jordan back in the second season when rockets won? they were even in the playoffs that season ('95). it's not our fault the bulls didn't make it into the finals that year. so obviously they were not enough to keep up with the rockets that season. if he had played 2 full seasons those years, i think they would have beaten the rockets. they did win 3 straight, so there's no reason for them to stop.

 

Oh and if we had beaten the jazz in the WCF 97, we would have went to the finals and i assure you we would have beaten the Bulls, and everyone could shutup about this topic
....
but there are no IF's in life

 

Like some other teams might have won?

 

I'm Chinese, and I'm pretty sure "AsianBalla" is Asian

 

What a fresh topic, and way to pull the race card in error.

 

what would happen if rockets have drafted jordan instead of hakeem? it would have been 8-straight for houston!

 

Oh, OK.

Well I think had Jordon not retired, the Clippers would have won 2.

Oh, no. I don't hate Chinese people. Just black people. And Jews.

 

people give jordan too much credit, he always had Pippen, a top 50 all-time, and an all-star PF (grant, rodman) who did Hakeem have in 94 that was comparable? aside from 95 when Hakeem had Drexler and swept the finals opponent and beat 4 50+ win teams, Hakeem showed what he could do with another all-star, so please dont give Jordon that much credit, i seriously believe if you replaced Jordan and Hakeem on the 94 team we would have lost, NY was a GOOD team back then, they had ewing, starks, harper, and oakley, mason (Solid PF's), i think they would have shut jordan down and he would have no pippen or grant to pick up the slack, so we would loose
the bulls in general were a very good team, hakeem MADE the rockets, offensively and defensively

 

I think the Nets would have won those 2 years if Jordan stayed.

 

Pippen rode MJ's jock all the way to that top 50. He was nothing without Jordan, as we unfortunately found out first hand.

 

if i'm correct in 94 he made it to the ECF to fall to knicks on his own, so please dont tell me he was nothing, i know there is a lot of hate for him here, but you have to admit pippen was good, a lock down defender, point forward, and could carry the offense

 

Jordan NEVER averaged 50%+ and especially during a scoring run of 50+pts (needless to say 82).
that's like saying Jordan is always inferior to Bird and Magic.

 

No doubt- Rockets win 2 championships
Dream > Jordan

(big homer I am)

 

I'll bite on this one.

Consider this: the only time Jordan's Bulls faced a team in the playoffs who had a dominant center, they lost. Shaq and the Magic took them, and then were beaten by the rockets in the finals.

The Bulls three headed monster couldn't control Shaq and surely couldn't have touched Hakeem the way he was playing.

Interestingly, that Orlando team was built very similar to the Rockets team.

Both had a center to draw triple teams: shaq and hakeem

both had a dynamic guard: clyde (2nd championship) and penny

both surrounded these players with shooters: nick anderson, dennis scott, kenny smith, cassell, maxwell (1st championship), bullard

 

wtf are you talking about? Houston had a great team. Hakeem never won those championships before he saw the likes of Cassell, Maxwell, Horry, Kenny Smith, OT and Bullard.
and after they traded away part of the Rockets future (Cassell and Horry)
he never saw a championship again. So please do not snub Hakeem's supporting cast.
fools.....

 

I think the Rockets would definately win the first one and probably the second as well. You have to understand how much fatigue falls on a player who has had 3 championships in a row, your talking about having played a whole extra season. Either way, Hakeem would have still put us on the map and I am sick of hearing this question over and over.. Its been debated to death