1995 NBA Finals

1995 basketball championship series February 2024 1995NBAFinals.png NBA 1995 Orlando Magic Brian Hill 0 Houston Rockets Rudy Tomjanovich 4 June 7–14 Hakeem Olajuwon(Houston Rockets) Rockets:Clyde Drexler (2004)Hakeem Olajuwon (2008)Magic:Shaquille O'Neal (2016)Coaches:Rudy Tomjanovich (2020)Officials:Dick Bavetta (2015)Danny Crawford (2025)Hugh Evans (2022) Magic defeated Pacers, 4–3 Rockets defeated Spurs, 4–2 The 1995 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 1994–95 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The series pitted the Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic against the defending NBA champion and Western Conference champion Houston Rockets. Much pre-series hype concerned the meeting of the two All-Star centers—Shaquille O'Neal of the Magic and Hakeem Olajuwon of the Rockets—a matchup some compared to the Bill Russell–Wilt Chamberlain games of the 1960s.Cohen Josh September 20, 2013 Cohen: A Chronicle of the 1994-95 Season (Part 5) Orlando Magic https://www.nba.com/magic/news/cohen-chronicle-1994-95-season-part-5 2026-06-22 NBA.com The Rockets swept the Magic, repeating as champions and becoming the lowest-seeded team ever to win the Finals. In the 1995 playoffs, the Rockets became the first NBA team to win nine road playoff games and to beat four 50-win teams in a single postseason. It was the second NBA Finals sweep in the 2–3–2 Finals format (after the Detroit Pistons did so against the Los Angeles Lakers in 1989). The Rockets also became the first repeat NBA Champion in history to keep the title with a sweep. In addition, the Rockets became the first team in NBA history to win the title without having home-court advantage in any of the four playoff rounds since the playoffs was expanded to a 16 team format in 1984. Coincidentally, this feat would also be achieved in the NHL by the New Jersey Devils that same year, when they won the Stanley Cup over the Presidents' Trophy winning Detroit Red Wings.Blinebury Fran June 14, 2025 How the 1995 Houston Rockets made NBA history with an improbable title run that remains unmatched https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/rockets/article/houston-rockets-1995-nba-championship-20370763.php June 23, 2025 Houston Chronicle The Orlando Magic, making their first NBA Finals appearance, began the series at home, hosting the defending champion Houston Rockets. With the Magic up 110–107 late in Game 1, Nick Anderson missed four consecutive free throws in the closing seconds of the game, and Kenny Smith hit a three-pointer, tying the game and sending it to overtime as well as setting a new Finals record, with the most three-pointers in an NBA Finals game with seven (later broken by Ray Allen, who hit eight three-pointers during Game 2 of the 2010 NBA Finals). The more experienced Rockets went on to win in overtime and eventually swept the Magic, winning their second consecutive NBA Championship. In achieving this, they earned the distinction of being the only team to win both championships during Michael Jordan's first retirement (although Jordan did return in the closing months of the 1994–95 season), in addition to being the only team other than the Chicago Bulls to win multiple championships in the 1990s. This was also the second consecutive 90s championship series not featuring the Chicago Bulls, a streak the Bulls would end in 1996.List of NBA champions https://www.nba.com/news/history-nba-champions 2026-06-22 NBA.com The season-ending documentary Double Clutch by Hal Douglas, was released by NBA Entertainment to coincide with the Rockets' championship season.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eywwdbDB1hE 1994-95 Houston Rockets - Double Clutch 2016-06-09 Santiago73 2026-06-22 YouTube As of 2026, the Houston Rockets, as a 6th seed in the 1995 playoffs, remain the lowest-seeded team to win the NBA Finals. They also remain the most recent team to win a championship despite winning less than 50 games in a full 82-game regular season.The 1999 San Antonio Spurs, 2012 Miami Heat and 2021 Milwaukee Bucks won less than 50 games in their championship-winning seasons, but they all took place during shortened seasons caused by a lockout or a global pandemic. Background Houston Rockets 1994–95 Houston Rockets season The Rockets entered the 1994–95 season as defending champions. They had won their first eight games of the season,https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/HOU/1995_games.html 1994-95 Houston Rockets Schedule and Results July 29, 2019 the first defending champions to have won their first eight games of their season since the 1987-88 Lakers.https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/LAL/1988_games.html 1987-88 Los Angeles Lakers Schedule and Results July 29, 2019 However, they struggled to maintain last season's form due to injuries and off-court-distractions. On February 14, the Rockets acquired Clyde Drexler from the Portland Trail Blazers, but the trade of a hometown hero (Drexler was a teammate of Olajuwon at the University of Houston) did not improve matters, and the Rockets settled for the sixth seed with a 47–35 record.Monroe By Mike 2015-04-17 In 1995, Houston had same problem https://www.expressnews.com/sports/spurs/article/In-1995-Houston-had-same-problem-6205423.php 2026-06-22 San Antonio Express-News However, Houston once again lived up to its Clutch City reputation come playoff time. En route to the Finals, the Rockets defeated three teams with 55 or more victories. They began by ousting the Utah Jazz in five games (the Rockets trailed 2–1 after three games), then repeating last season's comeback effort over the Phoenix Suns (wherein the Rockets trailed 3–1 after four games). In Game 7 of that series, Phoenix led Houston 51–42 after the first half before Houston mounted a comeback to get the series win, 115–114.https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199505200PHO.html Houston Rockets at Phoenix Suns Box Score, May 20, 1995 July 29, 2019 After dispatching the Suns, the Rockets upset the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs in six games of the conference finals, in which the first five games of the series were won by the road team, to become the first six seed to reach the NBA Finals since 1981.1995 NBA Western Conference Finals - Rockets vs. Spurs https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1995-nba-western-conference-finals-rockets-vs-spurs.html 2026-06-22 Basketball-Reference.com Like in the 1994 Finals, Olajuwon outplayed his contemporary at center, the league's Most Valuable Player, David Robinson.@BradeauxNBA Bradeaux May 23, 2023 "28 years ago today..." https://x.com/BradeauxNBA/status/1661253866367713282 X Orlando Magic 1994–95 Orlando Magic season The Magic were only in their sixth season of existence, but they were a team on the rise. Led by All-Stars Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway, new acquisition Horace Grant, and franchise cornerstones Nick Anderson and Dennis Scott, the Magic rolled through the Eastern Conference, winding up with a then-franchise best 57–25 mark. Orlando's road to the Finals began with a convincing 3–1 series win over the Boston Celtics, which was the last game at the famous Boston Garden.Blakely A. Sherrod 2020-05-05 This Date in Celtics History: The final game played at the legendary Boston Garden https://www.nbcsportsboston.com/nba/boston-celtics/this-date-in-celtics-history-the-final-game-played-at-the-legendary-boston-garden/335598/ 2026-06-22 NBC Sports Boston en-US They followed it up with a six-game ouster of Michael Jordan (returning from an 18-month retirement) and the Chicago Bulls in the second round, and in the conference finals, they vanquished the Indiana Pacers in a tough seven-game series.1994-95 Orlando Magic Schedule https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/ORL/1995_games.html 2026-06-22 Basketball-Reference.com Road to the Finals 1995 NBA playoffs Houston Rockets (Western Conference champion) Orlando Magic (Eastern Conference champion)HOU6th seed in the West, 11th best league recordRegular seasonORL1st seed in the East, 4th best league recordDefeated the (3) Utah Jazz, 3–2First roundDefeated the (8) Boston Celtics, 3–1Defeated the (2) Phoenix Suns, 4–3Conference semifinalsDefeated the (5) Chicago Bulls, 4–2Defeated the (1) San Antonio Spurs, 4–2Conference finalsDefeated the (2) Indiana Pacers, 4–3 Regular season series The Orlando Magic won both games in the regular season series: #fff November 23, 1994 Houston Rockets 94 Orlando Magic 117 Orlando Arena, Orlando, Florida March 2, 1995 Orlando Magic 107 Houston Rockets 96 The Summit, Houston, Texas 1995 NBA Finals rosters Houston Rockets Houston Rockets 1994–95 #CE1141 #FFFFFF #FDB927 #000000 15 Tim Breaux SF 6 7 215 Wyoming 1970–09–19 52 Chucky Brown SF 6 7 214 North Carolina State 1968–02–29 10 Sam Cassell PG 6 3 185 Florida State 1969–11–18 32 Pete Chilcutt PF 6 10 230 North Carolina 1968–09–14 22 Clyde Drexler SG 6 7 210 Houston 1962–06–22 17 Mario Elie SF 6 5 210 American International 1963–11–26 7 Carl Herrera PF 6 9 215 Houston 1966–12–14 25 Robert Horry PF 6 9 220 Alabama 1970–08–25 27 Charles Jones basketball, born 1957 PF 6 9 215 Albany State 1957–04–03 11 Vernon Maxwell SG 6 4 180 Florida 1965–09–12 31 Tracy Murray SF 6 7 225 UCLA 1971–07–25 34 Hakeem Olajuwon C 7 0 255 Houston 1963–01–21 30 Kenny Smith PG 6 3 170 North Carolina 1965–03–08 55 Žan Tabak C 7 0 245 Croatia 1970–06–15 Rudy Tomjanovich Bill Berry Jim Boylen Carroll Dawson Larry Smith Orlando Magic Orlando Magic 1994–95 25 Nick Anderson basketball SG 6 6 205 Illinois 1968–01–20 00 Anthony Avent PF 6 9 235 Seton Hall 1969–10–18 14 Anthony Bowie SG 6 6 190 Oklahoma 1963–11–09 54 Horace Grant PF 6 10 215 Clemson 1965–07–04 1 Penny Hardaway PG 6 7 195 Memphis 1971–07–18 32 Shaquille O'Neal C 7 1 325 LSU 1972–03–06 30 Tree Rollins C 7 1 235 Clemson 1955–06–16 5 Donald Royal SF 6 8 210 Notre Dame 1966–05–22 3 Dennis Scott basketball SF 6 8 229 Georgia Tech 1968–09–05 20 Brian Shaw basketball PG 6 6 190 UC Santa Barbara 1966–03–22 22 Brooks Thompson PG 6 4 193 Oklahoma State 1970–07–19 31 Jeff Turner PF 6 9 230 Vanderbilt 1962–04–09 Brian Hill Richie Adubato Tree Rollins Tom Sterner Series summary Game Date Road team Result Home team Game 1 June 7 Houston Rockets 120–118 (OT) (1–0) Orlando Magic Game 2 June 9 Houston Rockets 117–106 (2–0) Orlando Magic Game 3 June 11 Orlando Magic 103–106 (0–3) Houston Rockets Game 4 June 14 Orlando Magic 101–113 (0–4) Houston Rockets This was one of only two NBA Finals in which the team who did not have home court advantage swept the series, (the other being the 1975 Finals, in which the Golden State Warriors swept the Washington Bullets). All times are in Eastern Daylight Time (UTC−4). Game 1 #eee June 7 9:00 pm Orlando Arena, Orlando, Florida NBC Houston Rockets 120 Orlando Magic 118 OT 19–30 31–31 37–19 23–30 10–8 Hakeem Olajuwon 31 Hardaway, O'Neal 26 each Clyde Drexler 11 Grant, O'Neal 16 each Kenny Smith 9 Shaquille O'Neal 9 16,010 No. 27 Dick Bavetta No. 17 Joe Crawford No. 29 Steve Javie Houston leads the series, 1–0 Orlando led 110–107 with 10.5 seconds left, when Nick Anderson was intentionally fouled to send him to the free-throw line. Normally a respectable free-throw shooter (70.4 percent in the regular season), Anderson missed both of his free throws, but was able to grab the offensive rebound after the second miss and was fouled again. Anderson shockingly missed the next two free throws, and Houston grabbed the rebound, and would tie the game with 1.6 seconds left on Kenny Smith's 3-point shot. The shot was one of Smith's seven made 3-point shots, setting a then-Finals record. In overtime, Hakeem Olajuwon tipped in a missed finger roll by Clyde Drexler with three-tenths of a second left to win the game. Olajuwon finished the game with 31 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 blocks while Kenny Smith recorded 23 points and 9 assists. Despite the Rockets miracle comeback, the game would ultimately known for Anderson's four consecutive missed free throw.Orlando Luke Hetrick 30 Years Later: Anderson Reflects On Defining Magic Moments https://mynews13.com/fl/orlando/sports/2019/06/26/30-years-later--anderson-reflects-on-defining-magic-moments- 2026-06-11 mynews13.com en Game 2 #eee June 9 9:00 pm Orlando Arena, Orlando, Florida NBC Houston Rockets 117 Orlando Magic 106 28–19 35–22 27–30 27–35 Hakeem Olajuwon 34 Shaquille O'Neal 33 Hakeem Olajuwon 11 Shaquille O'Neal 12 Clyde Drexler 5 Penny Hardaway 8 16,010 No. 43 Dan Crawford No. 42 Hue Hollins No. 4 Ed T. Rush Houston leads the series, 2–0Roarin' Rockets send Magic reeling, 2-0 Manila Standard June 11, 1995 Hakeem Olajuwon recorded a double-double with 34 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Rockets to a 117–106 victory and a 2–0 series lead. The Magic, on the other hand, became the 2nd team in NBA Finals history to lose the first two of their four home games (and the last until 2026).1995 NBA Finals Game 2: Rockets vs Magic, June 9, 1995 https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199506090ORL.html 2026-06-22 Basketball-Reference.comGretz Adam Gretz 2026-06-06 History is not on Spurs' side after dropping first two games of NBA Finals at home https://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/history_is_not_on_spurs_side_after_dropping_first_two_games_of_nba_finals_at_home/s1_13132_43924152 2026-06-22 Yardbarker en Game 3 #eee June 11 7:00 pm The Summit, Houston, Texas NBC Orlando Magic 103 Houston Rockets 106 30–28 23–26 22–21 28–31 Shaquille O'Neal 28 Hakeem Olajuwon 31 Anderson, Grant, O'Neal 10 each Hakeem Olajuwon 14 Penny Hardaway 14 Drexler, Olajuwon 7 each 16,611 No. 25 Hugh Evans No. 13 Mike Mathis No. 15 Bennett Salvatore Houston leads the series, 3–0Houston poised for sweep Manila Standard June 13, 1995 Robert Horry hit a three-pointer to give Houston a 104–100 lead with 14.1 seconds left. Orlando's Anfernee Hardaway then missed a three-pointer, and the rebound deflected off Dennis Scott and out of bounds with 6.8 seconds left, turning the ball over to Houston. Clyde Drexler was immediately fouled. He missed his first free throw and made the second for a 105-100 Rockets lead with 5.9 seconds left. Nick Anderson hit a three-pointer with 2.7 seconds left to bring the Magic within two points, and then Sam Cassell was immediately fouled. He needed to make both free throws to likely seal it, but missed the first. He made the second to give the Rockets a three-point lead with 2.2 seconds left. After a timeout to advance the ball to midcourt, the Magic had one last chance to tie the game and force overtime, but Hardaway missed a three-pointer as the buzzer sounded. The Rockets held on for a 106–103 win in Game 3 to take a 3–0 series lead and were one win away from their second consecutive NBA title.1995 NBA Finals Game 3: Magic vs Rockets, June 11, 1995 https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199506110HOU.html 2026-06-22 Basketball-Reference.com Game 4 #eee June 14 9:00 pm The Summit, Houston, Texas NBC Orlando Magic 101 Houston Rockets 113 21–23 30–24 25–30 25–36 Hardaway, O'Neal 25 each Hakeem Olajuwon 35 Grant, O'Neal 12 each Hakeem Olajuwon 15 Penny Hardaway 5 Clyde Drexler 8 16,611 No. 17 Joe Crawford No. 20 Jess Kersey No. 21 Bill Oakes Houston wins the NBA Finals, 4–0Two-rrific Two-ston Manila Standard June 16, 1995 At the end of the first half, the Magic had a 4-point advantage over the home team, Rockets. However, the Rockets had another notable comeback as they outscored the Magic 66–50 in the second half, thus winning their second consecutive NBA championship. Olajuwon outscored O'Neal by 10 points and capped off the sweep by hitting a memorable yet uncharacteristic 3-pointer in front of O'Neal. When accepting the Larry O'Brien Trophy on the floor of The Summit, Rockets head coach Rudy Tomjanovich said "Don't ever underestimate the heart of a champion!"Short Mike December 19, 2019 Don't ever underestimate the heart of a champion' https://www.morningread.com/feature/2019-12-19/dont-ever-underestimate-the-heart-of-a-champion Morning Read Olajuwon, with his 35-point and 15 rebound performance, was named Finals MVP for the second straight year. By winning his second straight NBA Finals MVP award, Hakeem Olajuwon became the sixth player to win the award on multiple occasions, joining Willis Reed, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan. Jordan and Olajuwon at the time were the only players to win the award consecutively.Barner Mike June 16, 2026 Players with multiple NBA Finals MVPs https://www.nba.com/news/players-with-multiple-nba-finals-mvps 2026-06-22 NBA.com Game 4 remains the most recent NBA Finals game played in Houston to date. Olajuwon v. O'Neal Hakeem Olajuwon and Shaquille O'Neal statistical performance in the Finals: 1995 NBA Finals Gm 1Gm 2Gm 3Gm 4TotalsHakeem Olajuwon3134313532.8 ppgShaquille O'Neal2633282528.0 ppg Although both centers played well, Olajuwon outscored O'Neal in every game of the series and became one of the few players in NBA history to score at least 30 points in every game of an NBA Finals series.History of the NBA Finals: Hakeem Olajuwon: The NBA’s Best In The Mid ’90s, hollywoodsportsbook.com, accessed February 16, 2007.NBA Finals Records https://web.archive.org/web/20071013011026/http://basketball.com/nba/records/NBAfinIndGameScore.shtml October 13, 2007 , Basketball.com, accessed February 16, 2007. O'Neal later acknowledged that this loss was crucial for his development, noting that Olajuwon was the only center he could not intimidate with his size and athleticism.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gdQAsYIRLU Shaq on 1995 NBA Finals Loss: "That Was My Fault" 2025-06-13 ALL THE SMOKE 2026-04-22 YouTube Player statistics Houston Rockets Houston Rockets |- | align="left" | Chucky Brown || 4 || 0 || 9.5 || .455 || .000 || 1.000 || 2.8 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.5 || 3.0 |- | align="left" | Sam Cassell || 4 || 0 || 23.3 || .429 || .467 || .833 || 1.8 || 3.0 || 1.8 || 0.0 || 14.3 |- | align="left" | Pete Chilcutt || 3 || 0 || 1.0 || .000 || .000 || .000 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 |- | align="left" | Clyde Drexler || 4 || 4 || 40.5 || .450 || .154 || .789 || 9.5 || 6.8 || 1.0 || 0.3 || 21.5 |- | align="left" | Mario Elie || 4 || 4 || 40.3 || .649 || .571 || .900 || 4.3 || 3.3 || 2.0 || 0.0 || 16.3 |- | align="left" | Robert Horry || 4 || 4 || 46.8 || .434 || .379 || .667 || 10.0 || 3.8 || 3.0 || 2.3 || 17.8 |- | align="left" | Charles Jones basketball, born 1957 || 4 || 0 || 14.3 || .500 || .000 || 1.000 || 1.8 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 1.0 |-! style="background:#FDE910;" | align="left" | Hakeem Olajuwon || 4 || 4 || 44.8 || .483 || 1.000 || .692 || 11.5 || 5.5 || 2.0 || 2.0 || 32.8 |- | align="left" | Kenny Smith || 4 || 4 || 26.3 || .379 || .421 || .000 || 1.8 || 4.0 || 0.3 || 0.0 || 7.5 Orlando Magic Orlando Magic |- | align="left" | Nick Anderson basketball || 4 || 4 || 40.3 || .360 || .323 || .300 || 8.5 || 4.3 || 2.0 || 0.5 || 12.3 |- | align="left" | Anthony Bowie || 4 || 0 || 6.5 || .600 || .500 || .000 || 0.5 || 1.5 || 0.0 || 0.3 || 3.3 |- | align="left" | Horace Grant || 4 || 4 || 42.0 || .532 || .000 || .800 || 12.0 || 1.5 || 0.5 || 0.5 || 13.5 |- | align="left" | Penny Hardaway || 4 || 4 || 43.0 || .500 || .458 || .913 || 4.8 || 8.0 || 1.0 || 0.8 || 25.5 |- | align="left" | Shaquille O'Neal || 4 || 4 || 45.0 || .595 || .000 || .571 || 12.5 || 6.3 || 0.3 || 2.5 || 28.0 |- | align="left" | Donald Royal || 1 || 0 || 1.0 || .000 || .000 || .000 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 |- | align="left" | Dennis Scott basketball || 4 || 4 || 37.5 || .310 || .241 || 1.000 || 3.5 || 2.3 || 1.0 || 0.3 || 10.5 |- | align="left" | Brian Shaw Brian Shaw (basketball) || 4 || 0 || 21.0 || .426 || .385 || .000 || 3.3 || 3.3 || 0.5 || 0.3 || 12.5 |- | align="left" | Jeff Turner || 4 || 0 || 10.8 || .200 || .333 || .000 || 1.0 || 0.5 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 1.5 Media coverage In the United States, the NBA Finals was broadcast on NBC television, with Marv Albert, Matt Guokas and Bill Walton calling the action. Ahmad Rashad, Hannah Storm, and Jim Gray served as sideline reporters, and studio coverage was handled by Bob Costas, Julius Erving and Peter Vecsey.Cohen Josh June 5, 2015 Remembering the 1995 NBA Finals 20 Years Later Orlando Magic https://www.nba.com/magic/news/remembering-1995-nba-finals-20-years-later 2026-06-22 NBA.com The games aired locally on NBC affiliates KPRC-TV (Houston) and WESH (Orlando). National radio coverage was provided by the NBA Radio Network, with Joe McConnell and Wes Unseld on the call. After the season, NBA Radio was dissolved and subsequent national radio broadcasts of the NBA Finals would be handled by ESPN Radio.2026-06-22 ESPN GOES GLOBAL IN NBA RADIO DEAL; TURNER 85% SOLD IN '95 https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/1995/12/05/Sports-Media/ESPN-GOES-GLOBAL-IN-NBA-RADIO-DEAL-TURNER-85-SOLD-IN-95/ 2026-06-22 Sports Business Journal Aftermath The Rockets 1995 title run is considered one of the toughest in NBA history. 2023-06-13 Ranking: The easiest paths to the title in NBA history https://sports.yahoo.com/ranking-easiest-paths-title-nba-030226378.html 2026-01-05 Yahoo Sports en-US Hakeem Olajuwon's Rockets had arguably the toughest path to an NBA title ever https://www.hoopshype.com/story/sports/nba/2020/05/27/toughest-nba-playoffs-paths/82916580007/ 2026-01-05 HoopsHype en-US They did not hold home-court advantage in any round and beat three teams with a .700 winning percentage or better (the fourth team they beat, the 57-win Orlando Magic, were just one win from a .707 win percentage). In addition, Hakeem Olajuwon's 1995 playoffs is also considered one of the best individual runs from a star player, as he averaged 33 points on .531 shooting, 10.3 rebounds, and 2.81 blocks in 42.2 minutes across 22 games.2026-06-22 Hakeem Olajuwon 1995 Playoff Stats https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/hakeem-olajuwon-1995-playoff-stats 2026-06-22 StatMuseShapiro Michael 2020-05-17 Shaquille O'Neal Recounts 1995 Finals vs. Hakeem Olajuwon, Rockets https://www.si.com/nba/rockets/onsi/news/shaq-recounts-1995-finals-hakeem-olajuwon-rockets 2026-06-22 Houston Rockets On SI The four consecutive missed free-throws by Nick Anderson would haunt him for the rest of his career. After the Finals, Anderson would shoot only 60.5% on free-throws for the rest of his career.June 4, 2019 On this date: Anderson misses four straight free throws https://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/15939192 2026-06-11 espn.com@MrBuckBuckNBA June 7, 2026 31 years ago, today, the Houston Rockets won Game 1 of the 1995 NBA Finals in one of the most dramatic ways possible - both at regulation and overtime... https://x.com/MrBuckBuckNBA/status/2063604632052466112?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet X.comNick Anderson Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/a/anderni01.html 2026-06-11 Basketball-Reference.com en thumb|Future All-Star center Yao Ming wearing a rebranded Rockets jersey in 2002, which was the last year before another rebranding in 2003. After two straight NBA championships, the Rockets changed their primary logo, which showed a light blue rocket flying past a red basketball with the team name "Rockets", and added new pinstripe uniforms adding dark navy blue to their color scheme. The new look initially faced criticism from fans, who felt it deviated too much from the team's previous iconic identity. However, over time, the new logo and colors became more accepted as one of the distinct logos of the late-1990s.Houston Rockets https://sportsdesignagency.com/work/houstonrockets#:~:text=NATIONAL%20BASKETBALL%20ASSOCIATION,TEAM%20REBRANDING&text=The%20Rockets%20launch%20came%20right,after%20winning%20consecutive%20NBA%20championships%3F Sports Design Agency 17 May 2025 The Rockets' title reign ended in 1996, when they were swept by the Seattle Supersonics in the second round. The Sonics were also the last team to beat the Rockets in the playoffs prior to their championship run, having eliminated them in the second round in 1993. During the subsequent offseason, the Rockets made a blockbuster acquisition in the offseason by securing the services of former NBA MVP and 9-time All-Star Charles Barkley. But age and injuries would take its toll on Barkley as this led to the Rockets falling short of being unable to replicate their previous success after their two-year consecutive championship reign, with their closest achievement being a six-game defeat to the Utah Jazz led by Karl Malone and John Stockton in the 1997 Western Conference finals. As of 2025, this marks the most recent appearance by the Rockets in the finals. The Orlando Magic won a franchise-record 60 games during the 1995–96 NBA season, but were swept by the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls in the 1996 Eastern Conference finals. During the offseason, Shaquille O'Neal signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, with whom he went on to win three championships; he later added a fourth title to his resume with the Miami Heat in 2006. The Magic would not return to the Finals until 2009, guided by rising star Dwight Howard, but they were ultimately defeated by the Kobe Bryant-led Los Angeles Lakers in five games. They have not returned since. O'Neal and Olajuwon faced off in the playoffs for the second and final time during the 1999 Western Conference First Round, with O'Neal's Lakers defeating Olajuwon's Rockets in four games. O'Neal outscored Olajuwon in the series, averaging 29.5 points to Olajuwon's 13.3 in the series.1999 NBA Western Conference First Round - Rockets vs. Lakers https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1999-nba-western-conference-first-round-rockets-vs-lakers.html 2026-06-22 Basketball-Reference.com By this point, O'Neal was 27 and Olajuwon was 36. This would also mark Olajuwon's final postseason appearance with the Rockets, who was traded to Toronto a few seasons later.August 13, 2001 NBA - Olajuwon: 'I feel like a rookie again' http://www.espn.com/nba/news/2001/0731/1233602.html 2026-06-22 espn.com This NBA Finals marked the last usage of the original script logo first unveiled in the 1986 Finals.Aldridge David 2026-06-03 NBA’s ‘Script F’ Finals logo, 40 years after its debut, still means a team has made it big https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7309434/2026/06/03/nba-finals-logo-script-f/ 2026-06-22 The New York Times 0362-4331 For the 1996 Finals, the league unveiled a new logo with the Larry O'Brien Trophy along with modernized typography in gold inside a black oval. This logo was used until the 1999 Finals. An updated version of the original script logo was later used from the 2004 to the 2017 Finals. Notes References External links Shaq and Olajuwon's Game 1 battle in the 1995 NBA Finals deserves a deep rewind SB Nation February 23, 2019 YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NoX7I3oJSM&list=PLUXSZMIiUfFT6WwhB2Sk2gqz7agE9FlLg&index=34 https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/_NoX7I3oJSM December 21, 2021 live Category:NBA Finals Category:1990s in Orlando, Florida Finals Category:1995 in Houston Category:1995 in sports in Florida Category:1995 in sports in Texas Category:Basketball competitions in Houston Category:Basketball competitions in Orlando, Florida Category:GMA Network television specials NBA Finals Category:June 1995 sports events in the United States NBA Finals