The moment Jordan retired. Now the Rockets wont get their chance to show just how they have killed the Bulls the previous 4 years.
The Stockton shot was very bad. So was the playoff series with the Lakers when Pippen dribbled off his foot, laughed about it and then blamed the loss on Barkley for fouling Shaq. Jalen Rose breaking Elie's wrist was bad too. He was playing the best ball of his life and after that he was never the same. And there are, of course, many others. But that's all just modern stuff. Worst ever for me was 1981. Basketball, and sports in general, just mattered more than anything for me then. Within a five year span (or less, I've blocked out the particulars), we lost that series to the Celtics, lost J.R. Richard to a stroke that might have been prevented (if you believe Enos Cabell about management ignoring Richard's pleas for help out of racism, although I heard later from a good source cocaine was involved) and blazed through Earl Campbell's career without a Superbowl appearance. I went off sports for about five years after that, and baseball and football still haven't recovered for me. So my worst, most painful, Rockets experience was the 81 series v. Boston. I don't think anything will ever compete with that for me. A 33 year old guy just can't ever care about basketball the way he did when he was twelve.
1. Stockton's clinching shot 2. Drafting Collier in the 1st round 3. Drafting Bryce Drew in the 1st round 4. Pippen falling in game 1 against the Lakers 5. 15 game losing streak last year 6. Kobe jumping over Olajuwon's back and dunking on him in the 99 playoffs 7. Losing everytime we play in Orlando (regular season) 8. Losing back to back games in 99 to cost us homecourt against the Lakers 9.Signing Maloney to a 6yr contract extension 10. Blowing a 21pt lead to the Suns in 94
Game 2 of the playoffs against Phoenix when we were up by 20 in the fourth quarter. I was at that game, and the feeling of losing the lead made me sick to my stomach. The Suns flew in some fans from Phoenix because we didn't sell out and one of them sat next to me. He let me have it after the game. Of course, the Rockets won the next two in Phoenix and eventually won the championship. JB
1) Stockton's shot. 2) Barkley's injury in the '98 playoffs when we were up 2-1 on Utah, with a ten point lead at home. 3) Olajuwon trade. I cried as a result of all three. I'm such a little b****.
Stockton's shot was the worst for me as a Rocket's fan. I'll admit it, I cried. To go from Eddie's shot to that was almost unbearable. Another for me was seeing Sir Charles get hurt in Philadelphia. I was a Barkley fan before I was a Rockets fan.
Oh yeah, forgot about that one. That was the first and (hopefully) last time I cried after a sporting event. Luckily the next two years brought only joy. And then after that I guess I just grew up a little bit and gained some perspective.
The Hakeem trade was the worst non-game Rockets moment for me. It was one of the worst decisions management ever made. The worst part about the Stockton shot was that the Rockets choked a big fourth quarter lead. It was not a close game throughout. The Rockets had it won, and they just choked. How do you blow a seven point lead with two minutes left in a game that important? Unblievable!
Mine is Stockton's shot. But, since everyone is saying that I'll come up with something original. The series vs. the Lakers a couple of years ago (I think it was '99) where in game one we let a rookie named Cuttino take the last shot when we had 3 future HOFers on the court at the same time in Pippen, Barkley, and Olajuwon. The series was basically over then.
.....when Frank Reich came in and led Buffalo back from a 32 point decifit in the the third quar, oh wrong sport. When we lost the game seven overtime in Seattle. You made the most special shot in Rocket history the next year though Max, IMO. BTW- I was more upset with Chuck than I was with the Rockets when Stockton hit that shot.
It was definitely Stockton's shot for me. I cried so much after he hit that. I remember wandering around the house, wonder what to do. I puncced pillows, cursed, he whole 9. Then, all of a sudden, I decided to load us NBA Live '96 for my SNES and start playing (Against the Jazz of course). Man, that still remains the only time I've scored 200 points in a game on a basketball video game. I was just so pissed.
Just out of curiosity, did you turn fouls off and push them all on the ground? That's what I do when I'm mad at a team. Then again, did '96 let you do this?
1.Stockton's shot 2.i dont remember what game but we played Utah in like 94 or so and it was a close game and the shot clock didnt move for like 3 secs when the jazz inbounded the ball 3. Kj's dunk on Hakeem
Oh, yeah. 96' was great (and bad) about letting you knock guys on their asses without having to turn the fouls off. The trick is to do it when they don't have the ball.
