Former Rockets share thoughts on the 1996 breakup that was too soon

Some Former Rockets Think the Breakup was Too Soon

A popular opinion among the Rockets of the 1990s is that they should have had more time together. I asked Mario Elie if that 1995-96 team should have been giving another chance glory after their disappointing loss to Seattle, specifically when it came to keeping Sam Cassell and Robert Horry.

Elie responded on Twitter: “Absolutely. Both still was very young. Both impact teams they played for.” Cassell was just 26 and Horry was 25 in their last season with Houston in 1996, so Elie has a point.

Robert Horry was also asked in 2015 by HuffPost Live about his feelings on the trade. “It’s one of the things that me and Sam Cassell talk about all the time,” said Horry. “If they would have made the changes and brought Kevin Willis and Eddie Johnson to that team, adding to me and Sam, that’s all we needed.”

Horry also took a shot some shots at Barkley in that same interview, explaining why he wasn’t worth that trade. “Now they bring in Barkley, a guy who doesn’t like to practice and a guy that doesn’t work hard — it’s documented by Jordan,” said Horry.

Considering the 1995-96 team battled through injuries all year, it makes sense that players on that team wanted another chance to make a championship run.

Next: Another Former Player Weighs in