There was a lot of concern and palpable excitement in the NBA heading into the 1994-95 season. Michael Jordan had been gone from the sport for a season as the rest of the stars in the NBA got ready to take the mantle.
Two such stars were Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson, both playing for Texas-based teams in a heated rivalry. Robinson won the regular season MVP over Hakeem in 1995, a fact that was a factor in their first-round playoff matchup. Kenny Smith told the Houston Chronicle how Robinson’s MVP ceremony before Game 2 of the series unleashed Hakeem.
“I’m sitting literally next to him. David is getting the award right before they’re going to introduce the starting lineups. He gets the award and I said, ‘Doesn’t that bother you?’ He said, ‘What?’ I said, ‘He didn’t say your name.’ He goes, ‘No, Kenny, no, no, no. He deserves it. He is the best player this year. No problem…’”
Smith then said that the entire Rockets team and Hakeem felt upset at the lack of respect paid to them during the ceremony,
“Fast forward, it was David Robinson getting our award. So, when I asked him that, I felt slighted by him not recognizing Hakeem, too. Mario felt slighted. Everyone who was involved felt slighted for him not recognizing Hakeem, not recognizing us.”
Ultimately, Hakeem got his revenge on the court and decided to let Kenny know his true feelings on who deserved the MVP trophy.
“At the end of the game, Hakeem has ridiculous numbers. I’m already on the bench. And he looks over and goes, ‘Kenny, I’m going to his house to get my award.’”
Olajuwon dominated that game, ending with 41 points, 16 rebounds, four assists, three steals, and two blocks. That gave the Rockets a 2-0 series lead and eventually led them to not only beating Robinson’s Spurs but every team that stood in their way to the NBA title.
Hakeem dominated the years Jordan was away, winning two titles and having one of the greatest seasons in NBA history in 1993-94. That year, Hakeem won the MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and Finals MVP. Robinson stopping his quest for a consecutive MVP seems like an insult to history, given what transpired when they faced each other.
Hakeem Olajuwon Sent The NBA A Message In The 1995 Playoffs
Hakeem was coming off a rough 1994-95 season, as the Rockets entered the playoffs as the sixth seed after a middling season. They were the reigning champions and had their key ingredients in place. They overcame the John Stockton and Karl Malone-led Utah Jazz 3-2 in the first round before beating the Phoenix Suns in a brutal seven-game series where the Rockets narrowly won.
The Conference Finals was where the Robinson-Olajuwon matchup took place. Hakeem dominated and averaged 35.3 points, 12.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.3 steals, and 4.2 blocks in that series to beat the Spurs in six games and advance to the Finals for a meeting with the young Shaquille O’Neal-led Orlando Magic.
The Magic had beaten Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls on their way to the Finals but were hopelessly outmatched against the Rockets, which swept them. It was the last title won before Jordan returned to three-peat for the second time in his career. During Jordan’s absence and early struggles after returning, Hakeem unanimously claimed the throne as the best player in the NBA.
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