Unknown Date; Miami, FL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Houston Rockets center #34 HAKEEM OLAJUWON in action against the Miami Heat at the Miami Arena during the 1994-95 season. Mandatory Credit: Photo By Imagn Images (c) Copyright Imagn Images RVR Photos-Imagn Images

Remembering the 1995 Houston Rockets Championship Team

Originally posted on Houston Rockets on SI
By Alec Elijah | Last updated Jun 14, 2025 7:00 PM ET

As the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder continue to battle it out for the 2025 NBA Championship, the Houston Rockets are celebrating their 30th anniversary for their 1994-95 NBA Championship team.

This championship marked the second in a back-to-back run for the Houston Rockets, which were led by the 1994 NBA MVP and Defensive Player of the Year, Hakeem Olajuwon.

This was a special trip to the NBA title for the Rockets, beating four 50-win teams en route to their championship, marking them as the only team to capture this feat. Also doing so as a No. 6 seed, despite being the defending NBA champions.

Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler celebrating after finally winning a championship together in 1995. pic.twitter.com/H2ivy1UluC
— Paul Knepper (@paulieknep) June 11, 2025

During the 1995 playoffs, the Houston Rockets played the Utah Jazz (60), Phoenix Suns (59) and San Antonio Spurs (62) in the Western Conference. To which they then met the Orlando Magic (57) in the NBA Finals.

RVR Photos-Imagn Images

The Rockets had some big wins during this run, coming back from a 2–1 deficit to beat the Utah Jazz in the first round and also from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Phoenix Suns in the second round. Coming back from a 3-1 deficit put the 1994-95 Rockets team in history, not just for their championship, but also for becoming one of the only 13 teams in NBA history to do so.

After climbing those two mountains, the Rockets were met by the San Antonio Spurs, led by that season's MVP, David Robinson, whom they were able to defeat in six games, advancing to the NBA Finals.

Once the Rockets reached the finals again, their leader, Hakeem Olajuwon, took over and led Houston to a sweep past the Orlando Magic, becoming the only player to sweep a team in the NBA Finals while scoring a minimum of 30 points in every game.