http://www.nba.com/rockets/hakeem_tribute/hakeem_encyclopedia.html http://www.nba.com/rockets/hakeem_tribute/hakeem_encyclopediaCD.html http://www.nba.com/rockets/hakeem_tribute/hakeem_encyclopediaEG.html http://www.nba.com/rockets/hakeem_tribute/hakeem_encyclopediaHK.html http://www.nba.com/rockets/hakeem_tribute/hakeem_encyclopediaLM.html http://www.nba.com/rockets/hakeem_tribute/hakeem_encyclopediaNO.html http://www.nba.com/rockets/hakeem_tribute/hakeem_encyclopediaPS.html http://www.nba.com/rockets/hakeem_tribute/hakeem_encyclopediaT.html http://www.nba.com/rockets/hakeem_tribute/hakeem_encyclopediaUZ.html Choke City - Three days after blowing an 18-point lead and losing Game 1 of the 1994 Western Conference Semifinals to the Phoenix Suns, the Rockets lost a 20-point fourth-quarter lead and Game 2. The next day the Houston Chronicle renamed Houston "Choke City." "We traveled directly to Phoenix after the game," Olajuwon said. "That was a terrible flight. It was silent on the plane, as if somebody had died. Nobody was prepared for what had happened." Clutch City - The Rockets said good-bye to their home-court advantage in the 1994 Western Conference Semifinals against the Phoenix Suns by losing two large leads in Games 1 and 2. Hakeem Olajuwon believed they lost something else; pressure. In a speech to his teammates prior to Game 3, Olajuwon pointed out the Rockets had nothing to lose. "The pressure is now on Phoenix, it is not on us anymore," he said. "They took that pressure away when they came in and won two games. Now everybody expects them to win, so if we go and put our effort into winning the first game here in Phoenix that puts all the pressure back on them." The Rockets went on to win the next two games on the Suns' home floor and eventually the series, as Olajuwon's 37 points and 17 rebounds led Houston to a 104-94 Game 7 win and a berth in the Western Conference Finals against Utah. "The Dream" - The nickname by which Hakeem has been known since he was in college, but no one is really sure how he got it. Legend has it he acquired the nickname "The Dream" from a coach at UH when during practice he dribbled the basketball from one end of the court to the other and dunked it with such ease that the coach remarked it "looked like a dream." Ping Pong - Another sport at which Hakeem excels. Early in his career he was able to beat most of his Rockets teammates with his left hand. At the 1996 Olympics, Hakeem was the champion of the table among the men's basketball team, beating Reggie Miller for the title. Malone, Moses - The summer after he won the 1981 NBA MVP award, Malone played against Olajuwon almost every day at Fonde Recreation Center. Hakeem credits Malone for helping him progress into a star player in a relatively short amount of time. He taught Hakeem to demand the ball and to be hungry for rebounds and blocked shots. Most Valuable Player - Hakeem was the 1994 NBA Most Valuable Player; the 1994 and 1995 NBA Finals MVP; Most Outstanding Player of the 1983 NCAA Final Four; Most Valuable Player at the African junior national tournament in 1979.
Thanks! <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7UzntOC-cGE&hl=en_US&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7UzntOC-cGE&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>
here's something that will SHOCK most of these fools here: Orlando Magic - The Magic were swept by the Rockets in the 1995 NBA Finals. Hakeem was named the MVP of the series and had a tip-in at the buzzer to win Game 1. I bet they were expecting that Orlando never made it past the first round.
thanks as always tinman. some of these kids need to know what we experienced as fans back in the day. now hopefully we can add to ur video/media library with more championships before the Yao era ends. sigh... F-U injury bug, F-U tmac.
It was apparently written just before being traded to toronto: http://www.nba.com/rockets/hakeem_tribute/main.html So that's why they used the "has spent," which was accurate at that point.
What was that thread about "What makes a superstar?" or whatever? ^^^^^^ I was in elementary school at the time, I've never been within 300 miles of Texas, but Hakeem made me a Rockets fan, and I'm still a Rockets fan after all these years.
Alot of stuff was going at the time, the Rockets were changing owners, the team was in flux, Dream wasn't happy..etc
Yes, the birth of Clutch City happened in that series. Houston was always know as the city that always choked, mainly the Oilers and Astros, but the Rockets blowing huge leads twice against Phoenix prompted the media here to label them Choke city.
This guy is 'living in the past' too <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1AJRqK4ZL6s&hl=en_US&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1AJRqK4ZL6s&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object> ps.. Clutch City was built by this "Hakeem" Crutch City was built by Yao/Tmac
We blame CD for a lot, but................... Dawson, Carroll - The current executive vice president of basketball for the Rockets. The man Hakeem credits with teaching him the fundamentals that became the foundation of his success. Dawson, who was an assistant coach when Olajuwon was drafted by the Rockets, helped mold the young center's game by teaching him the jump hook and the turnaround jumper. Olajuwon still counts on Dawson to help fine-tune his game when needed. ............he always has been one of the best teachers for big men around.
