?They Were Too Little, That?s Why Shaq Got Them?: Irked Rockets Legend Rips Apart Michael Jordan Over a Career Long Question Mark on the GOAT?s Legacy

In the NBA, the number of championships won is often the main factor in judging a player’s legacy. Michael Jordan is widely regarded as the GOAT not only because he won six championships, but because he never lost in the Finals. However, that wouldn’t have been the case had Jordan not retired after winning his first three rings, according to a former Houston Rockets star.

MJ abruptly retired before the 1993-94 season to play baseball and didn’t return till March 1995. Even then, his Chicago Bulls lost to Shaquille O’Neal’s Orlando Magic in the Playoffs. In both those seasons, the Houston Rockets won the championship. Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith, revealed in an interview that Jordan wouldn’t have won eight titles in a row had he not retired.

“He?s not going to win eight in a row. He?s not. No one?s done it in the modern era. He wouldn?t have done that“, Smith said. He believes that the Chicago Bulls teams of those two seasons were very small in size compared to the Rockets. They not only lost MJ but power forward Horace Grant left for the Orlando Magic as well.

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The Houston Rockets had an excellent record against the Bulls in the regular season during their first three-peat. Smith said, “They never beat us in the regular season. We used to go to Chicago, smack them. Come back to Houston, smack them up.”

The Rockets could have tarnished the legacy of Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan returned in March 1995 just before the Playoffs. However, they were comprehensively beaten by Shaquille O’Neal’s Orlando Magic team. The Bulls had lost size and were in desperate need of a big man. The Magic were subsequently swept by the Hosuton Rockets in the Finals that year.

Smith said, “They were too little, that?s why Shaq and them got them“. He continued, “Nah, they would not have beat us. They were just too little, and they wouldn?t have won eight in a row.”

There is arguably some truth to what Smith said. The Rockets would have been a matchup nightmare for the Bulls. Legendary center, Hakeem Olajuwon was at the peak of his game and the Bulls simply didn’t have anyone to stop him. Smith finished his argument by saying, “We would have beat their a**”.

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Fans never got to see a matchup between the two great teams of the 1990s. After the Rockets’ second championship, the Bulls went on to win three championships in a row yet again, as MJ cemented his legacy as one of, if not the greatest of all time.

This raises many questions. Could the Bulls have beaten Houston had Jordan not retired in 1993? If yes, could they have gone on to win eight championships in a row? If not, how would have that affected MJ’s legacy? These are some things we can never know.

What are your thoughts on Kenny Smith’s opinion? Do you think the Houston Rockets would have defeated the Chicago Bulls in the Finals? Let us know in the comments below.