Tag: Clutch City

Rockets unveil ‘Clutch City Lager’ beer with Karbach Brewing

At Wednesday’s watch party for the 2021-22 season opener, Houston fans were able to enjoy the new “Clutch City Lager” at Karbach Brewing.

At a watch party for their opening game of the 2021-22 regular season, the Rockets unveiled “Clutch City Lager” — a new team-themed beer developed in collaboration with Houston’s Karbach Brewing.

Clutch City, of course, is a reference to Houston’s championship teams in 1994 and 1995. As a result, the beer’s branding includes the classic Rockets logo and ketchup-and-mustard coloring. Karbach also offers team-themed beers for the Houston Astros (Crawford Bock) and the Texas A&M University Aggies (12th Man Lager).

The beer was officially released to the public at Wednesday’s watch party at Karbach, where fans were able to sip on the new lager while watching Houston’s season opener at Minnesota. Gretchen Sheirr, president of business operations for the Rockets, was on hand to deliver the announcement, while former players Robert Horry and Vernon Maxwell also offered on-stage commentary and signed autographs for fans.

“I actually do like this beer, it’s really good,” said Horry, a seven-time NBA champion. “I’m not just saying that because I’m sitting up here. I told them, ‘They better ship some to my house monthly, or I’m going to have to come back over here and see somebody.’ But when you have two great partners come together, you can make something great.”

The beer can be purchased during upcoming Rockets home games at Toyota Center, and it will be released to bars, restaurants, and stores throughout the Houston area over the coming weeks. Partial proceeds from sales of the beer will benefit the team’s Clutch City Foundation.

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‘Make Houston Clutch Again’: Former Rockets back Sam Cassell

Sam Cassell is reported to be a head coaching consideration for the Rockets, and several of his former teammates seem to like the idea.

Several members of the 1994 and 1995 “Clutch City” championship teams appear to be endorsing former teammate Sam Cassell as a candidate to replace outgoing Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni.

Cassell has worked as an NBA assistant for the last 11 seasons, including time with renowned Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers since 2014. “Mutual interest” was reported between Cassell and Houston shortly after D’Antoni informed the team that he wouldn’t return.

In recent days, former teammate Vernon Maxwell — who played in the backcourt alongside Cassell during the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons — has used his (often hilarious) Twitter account to promote Cassell’s candidacy. He’s even created his own slogan of sorts, with “Make Houston Clutch Again” as a clear reference to the “Clutch City” era.

On Tuesday morning, Maxwell attempted to draw a humorous distinction between Cassell and fellow Clippers assistant Ty Lue — who is also believed to be a serious candidate for the Houston job opening.

Fellow 1990s teammate Matt Bullard, who now works as a television analyst for Houston’s game broadcasts, posted an archived photo Tuesday with the tagline “Clutch City.” The image from their playing days features Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, Mario Elie… and Cassell.

Elie quickly retweeted it, perhaps offering an endorsement of his own. Elie has previously served as an assistant coach for several NBA coaches, which could potentially make him a staff consideration, as well.

Current Houston guard Austin Rivers, who played for Cassell in Los Angeles, has raved about Cassell’s offseason player development work. In particular, Rivers said Cassell helped him with his mid-range game, which Cassell was known for in his own playing days and could represent a philosophical contrast with the recent D’Antoni era.

During the 2020 playoffs, Doc Rivers made an emphatic case for why Cassell deserves to be hired for a lead job. Among his comments:

Sam Cassell should be a head coach, now. He’s got an incredibly high basketball IQ, and I hope he gets a shot. He’s paid every due that is possible and he’s yet to get a job, so I’m hoping that happens.

It isn’t yet clear if the backing of these big names will carry any weight, since GM Daryl Morey will be making the final decision. But it certainly can’t hurt, and if nothing else, it makes for a fun and entertaining trip down memory lane during the early days of Houston’s offseason.

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Kenny Smith on 1995 Bulls vs. Rockets: ‘They were just too small’

“We would’ve done the same thing,” Smith said of a 1995 NBA Finals matchup vs. Chicago. “The team that they lost to 4-2, we swept.”

As the starter at point guard for the 1993-94 and 1994-95 championship squads of the Houston Rockets, Kenny Smith knows the merits and accomplishments of those teams as well as anyone.

“The Jet” is also well aware of the popular NBA hypothetical from those days, which has recently taken on new life thanks to ESPN’s “The Last Dance” documentary on the 1990s Chicago Bulls.

Would Houston have won those titles, had Michael Jordan not abruptly taken a mid-career retirement from October 1993 to March 1995? After all, Chicago did win the three NBA championships both preceding and following Houston’s two-year “Clutch City” run in 1994 and 1995.

Many around the Rockets have long bristled at that notion, especially because the 1994-95 team had arguably the toughest championship path in NBA history. There’s also the fact that Jordan was playing in the 1995 playoffs, but his Bulls lost in the second round to Shaquille O’Neal’s Orlando Magic. Then, in the NBA Finals, the Rockets swept those Magic.

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In a Friday interview with Stephen A. Smith on ESPN’s First Take, Houston’s veteran point guard broached the subject by saying:

First of all, [Jordan] was wearing number 45, the year that they lost. And he was actually in the league. People forget that. But they were just too small. No Horace Grant. He was in Orlando. Dennis Rodman was still in San Antonio. That’s why they lost to Orlando Magic.

We would’ve done the same thing. The team that they lost to 4-2, we swept. It wasn’t Jordan wasn’t the best player. That wasn’t the best team. So if they didn’t keep Horace Grant or they didn’t get a Dennis Rodman with Michael, they would’ve been too small on the inside. I don’t think they would’ve won eight straight.

Hall of Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon recently made a very similar argument regarding his team’s championship merits.

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One popular theory is that Jordan was “rusty” in the 1995 playoffs after only playing in 17 regular-season games. But that’s not evident in the data. Jordan averaged more points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks per game in the 1995 playoffs than he did in the 1996 playoffs (when the Bulls won the title), all on superior shooting from the field.

Olajuwon’s Rockets also seemed to have a matchup edge against Jordan’s Bulls. In six meetings between 1991 and 1993, all prior to Jordan’s retirement, Houston went 5-1. Olajuwon clearly earned Jordan’s respect, as evidenced by Jordan selecting “The Dream” for his all-time NBA team.

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While they never met in the playoffs, Chicago’s nondescript centers such as Bill Cartwright and Luc Longley offered little resistance to Olajuwon in the regular season. By contrast, many of the teams Chicago defeated in the NBA Finals — such as Charles Barkley’s Phoenix Suns, Karl Malone’s Utah Jazz, and Shawn Kemp’s Seattle Sonics — lacked the offensive production at center to challenge the Bulls at their weakest position.

Ultimately, the Rockets and Bulls peaked at different times in the 1990s, and NBA fans never got to see the hypothetical play out in a playoff setting. As it is, though, the Rockets are happy with their two titles — and their championship veterans like Smith will understandably push back against anyone trying to diminish that group’s accomplishments.

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Today in 1994: Olajuwon, Maxwell lead Rockets to first NBA title

On June 22, 1994, Hakeem Olajuwon and Vernon Maxwell delivered on both ends of the court as Houston won its first major sports championship.

Led by 46 combined points from Hakeem Olajuwon and Vernon Maxwell, the Rockets claimed the first major sports title in Houston history with a 90-84 victory (box score) in Game 7 of the 1994 NBA Finals.

That game, which took place at The Summit in Houston, came 26 years ago today on June 22, 1994. Celebrations followed up and down Richmond Avenue, and a parade went through downtown days later.

Olajuwon, who was MVP of the 1993-94 regular season and the NBA Finals, scored a game-high 25 points in Game 7 to go with 10 rebounds, seven assists, and three blocks. Meanwhile, Maxwell added 21 points, including a dagger 3-pointer with just under two minutes left to play.

“Finally,” Olajuwon said postgame after the win over visiting New York. “If you were to write a book, you can’t write it any better. It’s been a great season for the team.” Houston had home-court advantage in Game 7 courtesy of a 58-24 regular season, which was the best record in team history. (Even today, only the 2017-18 Rockets have won more games.)

Point guards Kenny Smith and rookie Sam Cassell each played well under pressure, scoring a combined 24 points on 8-of-13 shooting (61.5%).

The New York Knicks were led in defeat by point guard Derek Harper, who scored 23 points. Patrick Ewing had 17 points and 10 rebounds, but Olajuwon’s defense helped limit him to a 41.2% shooting clip.

Maxwell’s defense was also quite impactful against Knicks guard John Starks, who scored just 8 points on 2-of-18 shooting (11.1%) from the field in the Game 7 loss. Starks was New York’s second-leading scorer in the 1993-94 season at 19.0 points per game.

Maxwell also, of course, hit the clinching shot on offense. “It’s the biggest shot so far in my career,” Maxwell said postgame. “Dream [Olajuwon] made a great pass, and I just shot the ball with a lot of confidence.”

Known best as “Clutch City,” that era’s Rockets went on to win the 1995 NBA championship, as well. Those back-to-back triumphs remain the only two professional basketball titles in Houston history.

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Today in 1995: Rockets complete historic march to second NBA title

“Don’t ever underestimate the heart of a champion!” Rudy Tomjanovich and Hakeem Olajuwon’s Rockets clinched a second title on June 14, 1995.

On this day 25 years ago, the 1994-95 Rockets finished off what could be the toughest path to a championship in NBA history.

NBA Finals MVP Hakeem Olajuwon led Houston in Game 4 versus Orlando with 35 points and 15 rebounds, sending “Clutch City” to a 113-101 home victory (box score) on June 14, 1995 and securing a series sweep.

Mario Elie chipped in with 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting (81.8%) from the field, including 4-of-6 on 3-pointers (66.7%). All-Stars Shaquille O’Neal and Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway each scored 25 for the Magic.

HoopsHype has more on the historic journey by the sixth-seeded Rockets to a second consecutive NBA crown.

“According to research in which we looked at every team’s path to their eventual championship wins, the 1994-95 Rockets had the toughest road ever to winning a title,” they write. “The worst team they beat had a 57-25 record, and that was their Finals opponent, the Orlando Magic, who boasted a lineup featuring Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway, amongst many valuable role players.” The HoopsHype story adds:

On top of that, the Rockets won four series without having home-court advantage, an almost impossible feat to even fathom, let alone pull off. Houston’s road was made that tough due to the fact that they went 47-35 that regular season, a disappointing campaign prior to the playoffs. The Rockets beat two teams in the Utah Jazz (60-22) and the San Antonio Spurs (62-20) that won at least 60 games, and a third, the Phoenix Suns (59-23) that came within one win of reaching that benchmark.

HoopsHype concludes:

A road that featured the aforementioned Shaq-and-Penny duo, along with Charles Barkley and Kevin Johnson, that year’s regular-season MVP in David Robinson, who Olajuwon made look very foolish during their matchup, and John Stockton and Karl Malone, there’s no questioning just how tough the Rockets had it during their second title run, and how well-earned their championship was.

It also served as the long awaited championship for future Hall of Fame guard Clyde Drexler, who had 15 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists in the decisive Game 4. Drexler was acquired by the Rockets in a bold move at the February 1995 trade deadline in exchange for power forward Otis Thorpe, who had played a key role in Houston’s 1993-94 title.

In all, the 1995 run can be summed up perfectly by the postgame quote that night from legendary head coach Rudy Tomjanovich.

“Don’t ever underestimate the heart of a champion!”

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Today in 1995: Sam Cassell scores 31 as Rockets take control of Finals

One game after Kenny Smith hit a record seven 3-pointers, his understudy had 31 points as Houston took Game 2 of the NBA Finals in Orlando.

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In Game 1 of the 1995 NBA Finals, perhaps the biggest Houston storyline was the record (at the time) seven 3-pointers by veteran point guard Kenny Smith, leading to a road victory in overtime by the Rockets.

In Game 2, it was his understudy’s time to shine. Second-year point guard Sam Cassell scored 31 points in 30 minutes off the bench, which helped lift “Clutch City” to a 117-106 victory (box score) on June 9, 1995. That scoring total also tied Cassell’s career high at the time.

The win gave the Rockets a commanding 2-0 series lead over the Magic, with both wins coming in Orlando. Houston went on to sweep the Finals and secure its second consecutive NBA championship.

Cassell, who was selected No. 24 in the first round of the 1993 NBA Draft, shot 8-of-12 from the field (66.7%) and got to the free-throw line 12 times, making 11. He also had three assists and three steals.

Hakeem Olajuwon had with 34 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocked shots, while Clyde Drexler added 23 points and five assists. But those numbers were largely expected from a pair of future Hall of Famers.

The biggest story in Houston’s two underdog wins in Orlando was that the All-Star duo had their contributions supplemented by role players taking on bigger roles than usual. It was Smith’s turn in Game 1, which limited Cassell to just 11 minutes. Then, Cassell — who is now an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Clippers — stepped up in Game 2.

Those two were inherently battling for the same minutes at point guard, yet the competition seemed to bring out the best in each player. In comments to reporters after Game 2, Cassell said:

It’s like this: If Kenny’s on, he’s going to play. If I’m on, I’m going to play. We’re each other’s biggest cheerleaders.

Smith, a 30-year-old veteran, averaged 10.4 points and 4.0 assists in 25.1 minutes per game as the starter. He was the superior shooter, at 42.9% on 3-pointers during the regular season and 44.2% in the playoffs.

But Cassell nearly matched him in playing time with 23.0 minutes off the bench. The 25-year-old averaged 9.5 points and 4.9 assists, and his ability to attack the paint with athleticism ⁠— shown in his 12 free throws in Game 2 ⁠— was a useful changeup in style for the Rockets, who had four starters (Smith, Olajuwon, Drexler, and Mario Elie) at 30 years or older.

Magic star Penny Hardaway said this after Game 2:

What can you do? Kenny doesn’t have a good night, Sam comes in and turns it on. Seems like you can’t keep both down.

Cassell scored 16 of his 31 points in the second quarter, which helped the Rockets build a commanding 63-41 halftime lead.

The Magic were understandably in a desperate situation and made several runs in the second half. But Cassell, who become known at a very young NBA age for his poise under pressure and clutch shotmaking, often had the answers as the Rockets raced home with a 2-0 series lead.

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Robert Horry makes his case for Clyde Drexler as an all-time great

“I tell people all the time, ‘You want to look at a really phenomenal athlete? Look at Clyde Drexler.’ Nobody talks about him.”

In the 25th anniversary year of the most recent Houston Rockets championship, former “Clutch City” forward Robert Horry still doesn’t think one of his 1994-95 teammates gets the credit that he deserves.

In an interview with broadcaster Craig Ackerman on the team’s official Facebook page, Horry was asked about his recollections of their improbable second NBA title run as a No. 6 seed in the 1995 playoffs.

While legendary center Hakeem Olajuwon understandably gets much of the credit for that run, Horry says fellow Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler — who began his NBA career with Portland — shouldn’t be forgotten. Then 32 years old, Drexler was acquired by Houston in a February 1995 trade.

Though the 6-foot-7 guard was recently highlighted on ESPN’s “The Last Dance” documentary as being outplayed by Chicago’s Michael Jordan in the 1992 NBA Finals, Horry says that shouldn’t define his legacy.

“People are always going to talk about the things that Dream did,” Horry told Ackerman. “But if you go back and look at some of the things that Clyde did? I was like, ‘Wow!’ I looked at the one game where they both had 40+ points. Clyde carried us a lot of times.”

Horry continued his comments:

I tell people all the time, ‘You want to look at a really phenomenal athlete? Look at Clyde Drexler.’ Nobody talks about him. The only time he gets talked about now is ‘Oh, Jordan ate him up. I say, ‘Yeah, but you never show the points he had against Jordan.’ Of course if I show you the highlights of me, I’m going to look like I killed you, because I won’t show any highlights of you. It’s one of those things that people don’t talk about much, but he’s probably one of the top five all-time best guards to ever play this game.

To play with him and have him on that run and help him win his first championship, that was incredible.

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Drexler, who also played with Olajuwon at the University of Houston, averaged 20.5 points (48.1% FG), 7.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game as the second-leading scorer on the Rockets in the 1995 playoffs.

Over his 15-year NBA career, “The Glide” averaged 21.3 points (47.2% FG), 6.4 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game, all while grading out as a good defensive player as well. Drexler retired in 1998, and he still occasionally serves as a television broadcast analyst for the Rockets.

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Today in 1995: Olajuwon, Drexler lead Rockets to clincher in Utah

Olajuwon and Drexler each had 30+ points and 10 rebounds as the Rockets won a decisive Game 5 in Utah on their way to the 1995 NBA title.

It was 25 years ago today when it became evident that the playoff form of the 1994-95 Houston Rockets was very different than the regular season.

Led by 63 combined points from future Hall of Famers Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler, the Rockets won a decisive Game 5 at Utah, 95-91 (box score). The Jazz went 60-22 in the regular season, while the defending NBA champion Rockets were a mere 47-35 and a lightly regarded No. 6 seed entering the Western Conference playoffs.

But the Rockets proved in that first-round series versus Utah that they were able to flip the switch. The May 7, 1995 win in Salt Lake City was the second of five playoff games they’d win when facing elimination.

Olajuwon led the Rockets with 33 points (10-of-16 FG) and 10 rebounds, while Drexler had 31 points (8-of-15 FG) and 10 rebounds. Drexler also made five of his seven shots (71.4%) from 3-point range.

No other Houston player scored in double figures. The Jazz were led by 35 points (10-of-21 FG) and 10 rebounds from Karl Malone.

By defeating the Jazz, the Rockets advanced to the second round of the 1995 playoffs to face the Phoenix Suns (59-23). In that series, Houston also won the decisive game with a road victory in Game 7. And few weeks later, they claimed their second consecutive NBA championship.

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