The discourse around NBA championships can be misleading. Too often, there is talk about whether NBA titles “matter.” For us, every championship matters.
During the 1993-94 and 1994-95 NBA seasons, the Houston Rockets won back-to-back NBA titles. Some would prefer to consider those titles “not counting.” Michael Jordan was on hiatus, so they would say the Rockets only benefited from his absence.
Former Rockets guard furious opposed to these takes.
Vernon Maxwell, “Mad Max,” was never known for his restraint. He was a colorful personality during his time with the Rockets, but he was also an invaluable part of their rotation.
If you tell him that the consecutive titles he has won do not count, he will not accept it.
Recently, Maxwell was on Gilbert Arenas’ podcast where he discussed this issue.
We know what you’re thinking. Arenas has built a solid reputation for taking hot takes. Let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater. Regardless of the venue, Maxwell makes a strong case here.
“I mean, you have to understand, we have Hakeem Olajuwon there. They have Bill Cartwright. … All I was doing was directing Mike to Olajuwon.”
-Vernon Maxwell
That’s a strong argument. The Rockets were built to contain Jordan more than the Bulls. able to contain OlajuwonWe don’t want to take anything away from the Bulls: they may be the best team in NBA history. Would the Rockets have beaten them at full strength?
We will never know
In 1993-94, Jordan played baseball. It’s a testament to his extraordinary athletic ability that he was able to play professionally, but – surprisingly – he was better at basketball.
Jordan joined the Bulls in 1994-95. He just couldn’t lead them to the Finals to face the Rockets. Instead, the Bulls lost to Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway’s Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Wrestling legend Ric Flair once said that to “be a man, you have to beat a man.” The Rockets beat men who beat men. They toppled Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway in the NBA Finals:
How could this not count?
Every NBA season is played by its own rules. Teams can’t beat players who don’t play. The Rockets have overcome fierce competition in their two championship seasons, and no one can take that away from them:
Even if they tried, Mad Max wouldn’t let them.
