How the Rockets turned back-to-back champions into a bunch of fed-up, beat-up, washed-up stars
From Choke City to Clutch City, the Houston Rocket of the mid-nineties were so cool. They took the '94 title and everyone was like "that's just cuz Jordan switched sports!" So, they clawed their way up from the 6th seed to win it all again in 1995.
The only trouble? When you rise so high, you have farther to fall.
A short-sighted desire to capitalize on aging stars quickly (that'd be Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler), and worry about the future later, led to injuries decimating seasons (poor Charles Barkley), backcourt weakness (prob shouldn't have traded away Sam Cassell), bruised egos (looking at you Scottie Pippen) and the end of an era. The Clutch City Rockets couldn't last forever.
Written and produced by: Clara Morris
Directed and edited by: Jiazhen Zhang
Motion graphics by: Mike Das
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Stop making jokes you are not funny.
This is one of the best episodes. The writing and dramatization worked excellently. Fantastic work with this episode.
This wasn't really a collapse, they were a little unlucky with injuries and the "bearhug". They never really hit rock bottom and bounced back pretty quick. But still a great video...
san francisco giants collapse please
A good video, but you didn't mention Otis Thorpe at all, he was both a locker room and fan favourite and a key piece of that first championship squad, not to mention the very player that they traded away to get Clyde Drexler (and Tracy Murray)
Anywhere barfing Pippen went after that they were finished
Wish it went on longer, would’ve liked to hear about the Yao Ming Tracey Mcgrady time period too
this is us rn :(
That “screen” was so blatantly miscalled 😂😂😂
Should have never traded Otis Thorpe, Robert Horry, and Sam Cassell
A tragic shame we never saw the Bulls and the Rockets in the NBA Finals. Imagine it: Jordan and Pippen taking on Hakeem the Dream and Clyde the Glide? Media hype overload!!!
This narrator is trash, like they're sucking on helium.
vancouver is not cold
Leafs... js its begging to be done
Amazing
15-1 Vikes
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seriously though, who's the narrator?
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Great Story
trading mario elie and big shot bob horry for barkley was a mistake!!! horry averaged as many points in the finals against the magic as barkley did on the rockets
45-37 and missed the playoffs! Wow. Cant really blame that on the rockets players, that just shows how stacked the west was
Ideas for this series: 1) 1980s islanders from 4 cups to nothing since. 2) 1980s oilers. Again 4 cups to nothing since.
SimpNation
Pretty much.
Jordan pushed Russell. 🥺
Washed up with two rings. Learn basketball clown
This was good days I went to both parades🤘🏿✌🏿🔥🔥🔥
Excited to come back in a year or two to see Rockets Collapse Pt 2: The Harden Era
There’s gotta be the collapse of the 76s next
Do one on the "rise of a dynasty" like with the patriots etc.
If Jordan not retired..rockets will eat dust by the GOAT
Jordan fell flat on his face vs nick Anderson. = Not retired
If people want to attach an asterisk to the Rockets' championships, they should do the same with Jordan's (since he & the Bulls didn't start winning until the Celtics & Lakers were old). Oh that's right, they just wanna pick & choose when to attach asterisks depending on how it benefits Jordan
Exactly....where was the so called "goat" when Hakeem and Ralph led the Rockets to the Finals in 86?
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How the Rockets became champions?..Michael Jordan retired..The End lol
How the Rockets became double champions....swept the Orlando Magic that Jordan and Pippen got flattened by. THE END
The Rockets went 5-1 against the Bulls during their first 3-peat. Jordan himself has even said that he's glad they didn't have to face the Rockets in the Finals. Steve Kerr (who would know a hell of a lot better than any of us) has said that they wouldn't have won 8 in a row
No cap, Collapse is the best sports series on SEworld. It could easily be a documentary series on ESPN.
A competitor to 30 for 30 for sure
The 1994-1995 Champion Rockets were created by Michael Jordan.
@FuShengAlex You mean a Rusty MJ who returned mid-season and was conditioned for the wrong sport gave Houston their 2nd Championship.
The 1995 Orlando Magic who stomped Mike outta Chicago that year were swept by Houston
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I'm not a Rockets fan, but people need to get off the whole narrative about Jordan's retirement/suspension. The Rockets went 5-1 against the Bulls during their first 3-peat, and Jordan has even said that he's glad they didn't have to face the Rockets in the Finals
Is it me or does she sound like Ellen DeGeneres
It's all because MJ retired that's it 😁
@ZjRsXzJm LCB hey either he was retired and outta the league or not.....make up your mind
@FuShengAlex You're joking right MJ coming of retirement 🤣😂
Orlando dumped mj out and Houston swept them
If rockets not trade horry & cassell, they might be won another ring & maybe destroy jordan & bulls
Helps when MJ takes a couple years off. None of the rings happen if he doesn't
@HubbzZ yeah too bad Jordan fell face first in crunchtime vs the same Nick Anderson that missed 4 ft's vs Houston that swept both he and his Orlando squad.
Like I said, Steve Kerr (who was on the Bulls for the last 4 or 5 years of their run, and has been in & around the game for decades) would know a hell of a lot better than any of us. Jordan himself even said that he's glad they didn't have to face the Rockets in the Finals
@Ellande Campbell wouldn't have happened if mj were there
The Rockets went 5-1 against the Bulls before Jordan "took a couple years off". Steve Kerr, who would know a hell of a lot better than any of us, said that they wouldn't have won 8 in a row
The Stockton shot broke my heart. I really thought that was a special team and that they were going to the Finals to take on Chicago.
That damned Malone moving screen!!! Lol
This team before clyde who came in 95 literally might be the only team that one a title without a secondary perennial all star beside dream. Maybe that's why the Knicks would have won it all if starks even shot 7 for 18. The knicks were leading starting the 4th. They should have held on to the lead & when riley saw starks I dont know miss 6 straight 3s he should have pulled him. Bc now guys were leaving starks wide open & doubling ewing & harper ( who had a phenomenal series & if the Knicks had won hw was going to be named finals mvp. So give dream all the credit he did it alone. Well he did have bog shot bob who just seems to have fairy magic dust on him. 7 rings with 3 teams & he hit a game winner deep in the finals like 7 times that I saw. I remember hi lites coming on & it was like big shot bob nailed the game winner again.
So I'll go with.... bad.
Houston should have and could have kept Horry and Maxwell but Clyde should have been traded after the ‘95-96 season and if they had gotten Barkley at least a year earlier than they did,they at least beat ‘96 Sonics and probably Utah in ‘97!with Horry and Barkley along with Dream strong chemistry.Also the Rockets could have gotten a player via trade or free agency such as Chris Webber,Sprewell,Mashburn or Tim Hardaway around ‘96-97 ..they would have probably added extra years to Charles and Dream’s careers to about 2-3 more years.
I think the tacit theme of this video is that this is what Reinsdorf/Krause thought could happen in Chicago. "A short sighted desire to capitalize on aging stars..."
it doesnt show how houston became champions. the title sucks
9:21 seworld.info/will/ppq2urmsfX-nnqM/video Turrible
The post Malone/Stockton jazz?
Aye, at least we got Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady, Steve Francis and very good players after. Hakeem Olajuwon will always be in our hearts in Houston.
Do a episode about the Grit and Grind Grizzlies
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Extremely well written. Great job.
It's all fun and games until secret base releases a video about your favorite team's collapse
young pieces like SA always did with Duncan.
Do emenem till I collapse
It's a shame Hakeem didn't get help until the twilight if his career. He should very much be in those. Jordan, kobe, Lebron, Bird ,Wilt, Kareem conversations.
@soiung toiue cool story. Too bad Orlando retired Mike from the 95 playoffs and Houston swept them.
Jordan “retiring” = the ONLY reason the rockets won two NBA titles
Too bad Barkley, Malone, Stockton, Reggie never got rings but there being so many awesome players in that era is why it is the best and most competitive.
Golden State Warriors coming soon!
Can yall do the fall of liverpool in the 90s. 30 year legue chapionship drought that finay ended in 2020
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Well it's not like the Rockets were going or beat the Bulls when MJ returned in 1995 and from there Bulls went on a 3 peat
@J Rod13 well the bulls wouldn't have beaten the Rockets the year you're talking about Jordan returning either
@FuShengAlex even if the rockets kept their championship squad they still wouldn't beat the bulls after the 1995 season
@J Rod13 well that's not what you said. Your statement clearly says he returned in 95 and the Bulls went on a 3peat.
@FuShengAlex dude I'm talking about after the 1995 season. Rockets wouldn't beat the Bulls in the 1996 finals. Bulls beat SuperSonics the team that swept the rockets
Uhhhh Jordan returned and they got eliminated by Orlando who Houston swept
“I hate basketball nowadays all they do is shoot threes” Look at this team, most of their guards and wings are sharpshooters. Shooting and spacing has always won basketball games. And as soon they went to having 2 post players, they started to choke.
Harden brought back the choke city
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We need more progressives and people who believe in modern monetary theory. Period. We NEED to put the pressure on president joe biden for executive action on student loan forgiveness on day one. As the law allows. Studentloanjustice.org
As soon as I heard how she pronounced "Tomjanovich", I had to stop the video. Horrible
That's messed up Houston didn't want to pay Olajuwon after he brought them their only championships. This is why I like players that show zero loyalty
As someone who lived in Vancouver for over 10 years that too cold schtich is trash. Boston gets more cold than us.
I'm from Toronto and wish they had another team out there in Vancouver. The profile of this city over the years has went through the roof culminating in the 2019 title where this city was absolutely crazy that year. Its not too cold out there (relative to other Canadian cities winter time)....it just rains too damned much 😆
please do one for the 2010 lakers
Another great episode. I would like to make a few suggestions for future episodes: the 2000-2001 Milwaukee Bucks, the 1999-2000 Portland Trail Blazzers, the 1997-1998 Utah Jazz and the 2008-2009 Denver Nuggets.
The Rockets were a true team. They played so well together. They may have looked like a one-man team on paper, but the sum was greater than its parts. Look at all the really clutch moments during their championship run. It was usually someone other than Hakeem making the big play. Kenny Smith’s tying 3 in game 1 of the 95 finals, Robert Horry making an awesome block right after that 3, Sam Cassell making a huge 3 in game 3 of the 94 finals, Mario Elie making the game winning shot vs. the Suns in game 7. Of course Olajuwon did make some huge plays, the tip in in game 1 of the 95 finals, and the big block on John Starks in game 6 of the ‘94 finals.
Jordan “retiring” = the ONLY reason the rockets won two NBA titles
@P D uhhh excuse me. But what does the OFFICIAL NBA website say about the 1995 playoffs....the year you're saying Jordan was retired? It doesn't say any of your excuse laden mumbo jumbo to absolve he and Chicago accountability of losing to Orlando It says: Orlando 4-2 Chicago Houston 4-0 Orlando.
Jordan came back from a 2 year retirement and the following 3 years, won nothing but championships while the rockets couldnt get out of the conference finals. Nice try Rocket Jocker.
Orlando sent Jordan golfing and Houston swept them. Nice try Jordan jocker 😆
2:42 Magic was long gone. You should edit that.
I love her sense of humor. You know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men? They're STUPID.
seworld.info/tv/5e0kPpPeDW6YEgNs6nmWdA.html
But then they got Yao! ....but that's a different kind of video :(
Narrator has a super annoying voice.
This channel sucks.
O Tis THORPE!
Where’s Otis Thorpe
I feel personally attacked
That screen was ridiculous haha. Moving the whole time.
The rockets were built to beat the bulls. Hakeem actually owned Jordan in head to head matchups.
This wasn't really much of a collapse
Imagine you're an ex-NBA player and your picture comes up whenever someone says "A weak back court". Vicious.
the only team you won't see here are the spurs
No mentioning Otis Thorpe, that's a bit cold.
can we get some diversity please. We have all jewish prsenters in Secret Base no Chinese or African Americans this is just too much over representation
Robert horry and high flying cant be in da same sentence
Jesus of Nazareth, who was God in the flesh of a man, died for the remission of sin, including yours, was buried, and rose form the dead 3 days later. If you simply believe in this to apply to you and trust Jesus to save you from hell then you have everlasting life in heaven. As Jesus says in John 6:40 "And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day."
Robert Sorry was s stretch four before that was a thing.
It’s a travesty that Hakeem wasn’t a Rocket for life
At 6:13 you malone doing an illegal moving screen whilst holding Clyde jersey if your confused just look at the middle of the action right in the middle of the 3pt line an the mid range. Theirs no way in hell your getting past that
Maybe it's her delivery, I don't know, but I think Clara is low key the funniest person at all of SB.
What about otis thorpe?
Smokin on chronic, the Lakers beat the SuperSonics
2006-2010 Mets next
why the Celtics won only one championship in the Kevin Garnett era? Make a story about that one...