The NBA was predominantly dominated by Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s. Following Jordan’s retirement from the league in 1993, fans witnessed the rise of the Houston Rockets, led by Hakeem Olajuwon. MJ, who was set to earn $4,000,000 in the 1993-94 season, didn’t return to the NBA till 1995, which allowed Houston to win two Championships in 1994 and 1995. The Bulls superstar’s hiatus from the league led to Chicago never facing the Rockets in a playoff scenario. However, Bulls star Toni Kukoc believes that the team would have beaten Hakeem’s Rockets in a seven-game series if they did face off in the postseason.
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Michael Jordan shocked the basketball world when he announced his retirement from the NBA after leading the Bulls to their third consecutive Championship in 1993. The Chicago Bulls superstar’s father had just passed away and he was deeply impacted by the tragic loss. MJ also claimed to be exhausted by the game and the constant limelight that it brought with it. Another reason for Michael to retire was to fulfill his father’s wish for him to pursue professional baseball.
Toni Kukoc believes that the Chicago Bulls would have beaten the Rockets
In a recent post shared by Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson on Twitter, Chicago Bulls forward Toni Kukoc was quoted. The quote espoused Kukoc’s belief that the Bulls would have beaten the Houston Rockets if they matched up in the NBA Finals. Talking about the Rockets’ superstar center, Hakeem Olajuwon, Kukoc said that they could have stopped him. Here is what the Croatian said on the matchup:
“I think we would’ve beat them. We beat them that year every game we played…I’m SURE that we would’ve beaten Houston but I think that we would’ve been… it was different matchups. I think that we were better outside and obviously they were better inside, but we had lots of guys that could spend fouls on Hakeem.”
Michael Jordan retired from basketball and the Houston Rockets won two rings. Toni Kukoc believes his Bulls would’ve beaten Hakeem Olajuwon’s Rockets had they matched in ‘94 or even in ‘95: “I think we would’ve beat them. We beat them that year every game we played.”
“Hakeem… pic.twitter.com/nndbDyGyPz
— 👑 Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson (@ScoopB) September 3, 2023
According to Kukoc, despite the skill level of Olajuwon, he could be physically dominated in the post. The Bulls veteran believes that the team had enough players who could spend their fouls on the center and not allow him to get into a rhythm. That being said, the Chicago Bulls player praised the footwork of the Rockets superstar and his ability to hit you with multiple moves in the post.
The matchup could have been exciting, but did not take place as the Chicago Bulls were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals both years. In 1994, they lost to the New York Knicks in a seven-game series, while in 1995, they were beaten by the Orlando Magic in six games. Despite Jordan making a comeback in 1995, his impact was not the same after a 2-year hiatus.
Michael Jordan shared his opinion on Hakeem Olajuwon
In 1996, Michael Jordan had an interesting take on his draft classmate – Hakeem Olajuwon. According to the NBA legend, Hakeem was not your traditional dominant center, something the league had gotten used to. He believed that the Rockets superstar was more of a small forward playing the role of a center.
Hakeem didn’t play bully ball in the paint, as he lacked the physical weight to push and shove players. But he more than made up for it with his unmatched footwork and the ability to shake off his defenders. His moves in the post were a work of art.
