Kenny Smith Revealed Which Team Could Have Ended the Bulls’ Dynasty Earlier

During the key years before Michael Jordan’s retirement, the Rockets went 5-1 against the Bulls in the regular season. Chicago lacked dominant interior defenders after Horace Grant left the roster. 

Houston had strong outside shooting from their guards to space the floor, and the Bulls would have struggled to contain that inside-out game.

To back up his claim, Smith relied on what happened in the 1995 playoffs. Jordan came back to the league late in the season, wearing the number 45 jersey. However, Chicago ended up losing to the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. 

Right after that series, the Rockets swept Orlando 4-0 to win the championship. Smith always points out that Chicago could not handle Orlando, while Houston dominated them. 

Sadly, those two championships won by the Rockets are often ignored. Critics always claim that it only happened because of MJ’s absence. The truth behind this requires a closer look at the timeline of events.

How the departure of Michael Jordan opened the door for the Rockets

MJ had just finished his first three-peat in 1993. He left the game due to the intense pressure of fame. His father also passed away, and he wanted to chase a desire to play professional baseball. Even without their best player, Chicago managed to win 55 games that season. 

That open window gave Houston the space to launch its 1993-94 championship run. They posted a 58-24 regular season record. They beat the physical New York Knicks in a seven-game Finals series. 

The next year, the team struggled early and entered the playoffs as a sixth seed. However, they added Clyde Drexler mid-season. They went on to defeat 4 different 50-win teams. They finished it off by sweeping Orlando for their second ring. 

Smith believes Houston brought a style of play that would have exposed Chicago, no matter who was on the floor. They just never backed down from a challenge.

Scottie Pippen even pushed back on Smith a few years ago. He reminded everyone of the elite defense his squad played every single night. The Bulls added Dennis Rodman to fix their rebounding issues. 

They went on to win three more titles under the brilliant guidance of Phil Jackson. That second run proved their status as a global phenomenon.

Smith wants to protect the aura of the greatest player ever. Yet he knows in his heart that Houston was the only team to break the streak before it reached eight. 

Would the famous perimeter defense of the Bulls have found a way to survive the power of the Rockets?