Robert Horry Says 1994-95 Houston Rockets Would Have Beaten Michael Jordan-Led Chicago Bulls

Shandel Richardson | May 12, 2024

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

One of the NBA's biggest "What Ifs" is if Chicago Bulls great Michael Jordan never retired.

After winning three straight titles from 1991-93, Jordan stepped away from the game. In the interim, the Houston Rockets won two championships. The first was won behind center Hakeem Olajuwon and he teamed with fellow Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler for the second.

Swingman Robert Horry was a member of both teams but he believes the Rockets would have still won those rings even if Jordan never left. Horry spoke on this during an appearance on the "All The Smoke" podcast with Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes.

"You think about this and I'm looking back at everybody that they had on that Bulls team," Horry said. "I know I'm a better defender than all of them dudes. They wouldn't have been able to stop Dream [Olajuwon]. They young Rob would've been competitive enough to stop Scottie [Pippen] and I figured that's why we would've won it."

Horry then explained the ultimate X-Factor: Who would stop Jordan. He said that would be Rockets guard Vernon Maxwell.

"Then everyone says what about Black Jesus, MJ," Horry said. "Look at the way Vernon played. Watch Vernon play. Vernon would give you 30 to 40, one of the craziest athletes you would ever see play the game. Because of his craziness, being Mad Max, people don't talk about him or even view what he did or how good he was."

To put things in perspective, Jordan averaged 30.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 17 games against Maxwell. Horry was never an elite defender. My pick: Bulls in five.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Day NBA. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com