Despite O.J. Simpson Interruption, Hakeem Olajuwon Led Houston Rockets To First Title 30 Years Ago

Olajuwon and Horry led the way as the Rockets defeated the Knicks in seven games

Feb 7, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Former Houston Rocket center Hakeem Olajuwon speaks to reporters prior to the game between the Houston Rockets and the Orlando Magic at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports / Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Rockets won their first championship on June 22, 1994.

During Game 7 of the NBA Finals, Hakeem Olajuwon had 25 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks to lead the Rockets to a 90-84 victory against the New York Knicks, He was named Finals MVP.

The Rockets shed the label of "Choke City" before eventually becoming "Clutch City." They became the first team to win a title after the Michael Jordan era ended briefly. After leading the Chicago Bulls to three straight championships, Jordan retired for the first time to play minor league baseball.

Another footnote of the series was the O.J. Simpson factor. A bizarre scene unfolded when Game 5 was interrupted by the Simpson and police car chase on a Los Angeles freeway. At one point, the Rockets-Knicks action appeared in a smaller portion of television screens while the rest of the world watched Simpson slowly drive from cops. There was speculation Simpson was contemplating suicide because of the recent murder of his ex-wife, Nicole, and Ronald Goldman.

Things eventually returned to basketball.

The Rockets forced a Game 7 after Olajuwon's 30-point effort in Game 6. Olajuwon dominated the deciding game, but was assisted with the help of guard John Starks.

Starks, the Knicks' second-leading scorer behind Patrick Ewing, shot 2 of 18 from the field in one of the least memorable performances in Finals history. He was also 0 for 8 from the 3-point line.

The Rockets won the title the following season, too. They are just one of 13 teams to win consecutive championships.

Scott Salomon is a contributor to Back to the Day NBA and can be reached at scottsalomon67@gmail.com.