The Rockets and The Chicago Bulls were the only two NBA champions from 1991 to 1998, and HoustonThe two titles won in 1994 and 1995 immediately followed Jordan’s temporary mid-career retirement in October 1993. Neither team has ever faced the other in the NBA Finals.
Given Jordan’s status as arguably the greatest player in league history, many fans wondered if his Bulls could have won eight consecutive titles, if that were possible. 18 month odd retirement it never happened.
The reality, however, is that Jordan was back and playing in the 1995 playoffs. His Bulls lost in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs to Shaquille O’Neal and the stars. Orlando Magicwho were later swept away in the 1995 Finals by the Rockets.
In a new interview with Greg Rajan from the Houston ChronicleKenny Smith — the starting point guard on Houston’s championship teams in 1994 and 1995, and now an NBA analyst for TNT — was asked if he thought these Rockets get their just due, given that their titles came between two triples from Jordan’s Bulls.
You can’t erase history. I don’t know if you get it right, but you can’t erase history. Everybody always says, “Well, Michael was out.” No, he wasn’t, he wore No. 45 (in 1995). And everybody says, “Oh, he was rusty.” Nobody said he was rusty when he scored 55 points at Madison Square Garden that year. He scored 55 points against the Knickswho was arguably the best defensive team in basketball at the time. No, that was Michael Jordan. (The Bulls) just weren’t that good of a basketball team. The team they lost to, the Orlando Magic, we swept them.
I never looked at it as a way to gain respect. You can’t erase history. And we’re here to stay. He played that year, so there was only one year he wasn’t there. He played (during the second title run), he was there and we just didn’t get a chance to meet them.
To echo Smith’s point, the Bulls had something of a hole at power forward in 1995. Horace Grant, who had started there in the first three titles, joined the Magic (who went on to beat Jordan and the Bulls).
Dennis Rodman, who eventually replaced Grant and started at power forward during Chicago’s second three-peat, was unable to rejoin the Bulls until the offseason following the 1995 playoffs.
As for Jordan and the rust allegations, it’s worth noting that he averaged more points, rebounds, assists, and steals per game. during the 1995 playoffs than he did in the championship that followed in 1996 – while shooting a higher field goal percentage in 1995 as well.
Ultimately, even with Jordan in peak statistical form, the 1995 Bulls simply weren’t good enough to beat the Magic. Two rounds later, that same Orlando team was swept by Smith, Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler and the rest of a gritty Houston team.
As Smith said, this history cannot be erased.
Related
Rockets Legend Hakeem Olajuwon on Michael Jordan and the Bulls: ‘He Gave Us All the Respect’
Kenny Smith: ‘1995 Rockets Would Have Crushed Michael Jordan’s Bulls in NBA Finals’
This article was originally published on Rockets Wire: Kenny Smith on Rockets-Bulls Debates in the 1990s: ‘You Can’t Erase History’
