Two-Time NBA Champion Believes Houston Rockets Would Have Beat Jordan-Led Bulls In 1994-95

Zachary Draves | Jul 30, 2024

Apr 5, 2021; Indianapolis, IN, USA; CBS announcer Kenny Smith prior to the national championship game in the Final Four of the 2021 NCAA Tournament between the Gonzaga Bulldogs and the Baylor Bears at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

NBA analyst Kenny Smith is adamant the back-to-back champion Houston Rockets teams he played for would have stopped the Chicago Bulls dynasty run in the 1990s.

The long held belief is the Bulls would have won eight consecutive titles from 1991-98.

The Rockets took over when Michael Jordan retired after the Bulls won the last of their three straight titles in 1993. The Rockets won in 1994 and 95, the first coming with Jordan playing baseball for the Chicago White Sox. That year, the Bulls lost to the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Jordan returned midway through the 1995 season. Rust showed when the Bulls were knocked off by the Orlando Magic in the conference semifinals again.

Last year Smith was asked by ESPN's Stephen A. Smith if the Rockets, led by Hakeem Olajuwon, would have defeated the Bulls if Jordan were around in `94.

Smith said, "We would’ve smacked them."

“The reason I thought we would’ve beat them is because they were too small for us," Smith said. "There was no Horace Grant. Dennis Rodman wasn’t there yet. So who’s going to guard Dream? No. Impossible. No way, no how. We would’ve beaten the Michael Jordan Bulls because they were too little.”

Smith said not facing the Bulls helped Jordan's legacy.

“I’m glad we didn’t beat them because it would’ve hurt Michael’s legacy in the debate with LeBron," he said.

Zachary Draves is a contributor to Back In the Day Hoops On SI. He can be reached at zdraves1013@gmail.com and on Instagram @zdraves0633.

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