Rockets Ascend: Olajuwon and Houston’s Glory

When Hakeem Olajuwon joined Houston as the 1984 top pick, the team was a playoff regular far from a title. For a decade the Rockets fell short in the West, and Olajuwon carried the "stats without rings" label.

The turn came in 1993-94: Olajuwon took MVP, Houston advanced, and a Game 7 over New York brought the first title. Next year, as the West’s 6th seed, they repeated. Two rings made Houston a true champion city.

To the city he was more than a player — a totem. Humble, devout, skilled, he embodied Houston’s most dignified basketball image. His No. 34 still hangs in the arena.

A city needs a hero to define it. Houston’s basketball memory forever bears "The Dream."

Related Reading

• 1995 NBA Finals MVP: Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston Rockets)
• 1994 NBA Finals MVP: Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston Rockets)
• 1994 NBA MVP: Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston Rockets)
• Olajuwon's Finals MVP Glory Moment
• 1995 Hakeem Olajuwon FMVP Breakdown（五）