HardwoodAce Highlights: Houston Rockets One-On-One Alumni Edition PART THREE

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Dec 21, 2013; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan unveils the new Charlotte Hornets logo at halftime during the game against the Utah Jazz at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

Closing Remarks

The three Rockets players I’ve highlighted in the one-on-one match-ups I’ve presented today are all likely to wind up in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (Olajuwon has already been honored with that distinction).

If not, at the very least, they’ll go down as one of the greatest to ever sport a Rockets jersey.

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In Olajuwon’s case, he was successful in bringing home not one, but two NBA Championships to the City of Houston.

In Ming’s case, he never won championships with Houston, but he elevated the reputation of international players, and he opened the doors for those of Chinese descent to start dreaming of the possibilities of one day playing in the NBA like their countryman.

In McGrady’s case, he may not have won any rings, but he and Ming were a part of making Houston Rockets history in that 22-game win streak, and T-Mac was a part of a particular play I bring up every time I see fans leaving an arena prior to the final buzzer.

You might know what play I’m talking about.

I know Spurs fans surely do.

And seeing as how I’ve backed up my points with comments from the peers of those athletes highlighted in this issue of HardwoodAce Highlights, I thought it’d make some sense to include this video a fan posted on YouTube highlighting the stars mentioned in my T-Mac segment of “Me Against The World.”

The fact that the video includes the names I’ve mentioned in T-Mac’s ultimate match-ups is the icing on the cake.

I guess the only thing that would’ve made the icing on the cake sweeter is if the soundtrack included Tupac Shakur.

For more on fantasy scenarios involving past NBA greats, stay tuned for my next article.

Let’s just say you might hear the names Olajuwon, Ming, and McGrady again soon.

And I know I kept things Rockets-related in this one-on-one discussion, but if I’m tapping into the entire NBA alumni, I have to give an honorable mention to a non-Rockets match-up.

This matchup would involve two of the most winning franchises in NBA history in the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers – Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson.

In my opinion, this rivalry deserves more of a discussion than Jordan-Bird simply because of the history these two had with one another as rivals in college and in the NBA.

Who’s in your ultimate one-on-one match-up (Rockets-related and/or non-Rockets related)?

Next: Top 5 Rockets Dunkers

Closing Remarks

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