'The Jordan Rules' Author Details Rockets' Success vs. Michael Jordan, Bulls
Michael Jordan and the 1990s Chicago Bulls have taken center stage over the last month, with 'The Last Dance' serving as the closest thing basketball fans have to live games. And while Jordan's Bulls are the greatest dynasty of the modern era, they didn't always stand head and shoulders above the competition.
Hakeem Olajuwon and the Rockets had perhaps the most success against Jordan's Bulls. Jordan went just 10–12 vs. Houston from 1984-98, including a 1–5 stretch from 1991-93. Why were the Rockets able to keep Jordan in check? 'The Jordan Rules' author Sam Smith offered his perspective on Sunday.
"Houston used to beat them quite a bit. They had a losing record against the Rockets during the championship years," Smith told the Chicago Tribune's Jamal Collier. "Otis Thorpe dominated and Hakeem Olajuwon, none of the centers [Chicago] had could do anything with Hakeem. Houston just had great matchups all over the floor."
Smith also highlighted the strong play of former Rockets guard Vernon Maxwell, who held his own against Jordan throughout the first half of the 1990s.
"Vernon Maxwell would play Michael, and Michael was better but Maxwell was nuts," Smith told Collier. "He used to attack Jordan and curse at him and run him all over the court. Michael could still get his 35 points, but now he’s really working for it as this guy is harassing him endlessly, like nobody else did."
Maxwell and the Rockets haven't been shy in recent weeks regarding their success against Jordan. Houston posted a video touting their record vs. Chicago on April 20, and Maxwell previously tweeted his memories of guarding Jordan in a slate of intense matchups.
Houston and Chicago never squared off in the Finals, with Jordan's pair of three peats sandwiching the Rockets' back-to-back championships. But as Smith noted, a potential Finals matchup wouldn't necessarily end in a Bulls title. Olajuwon and the Rockets were no paper tigers. Perhaps Jordan wouldn't have an unblemished Finals record if the 1990s played out differently.
