Former NBA guard and Inside the NBA analyst Kenny Smith said in a recent interview that his Houston Rockets that won back-to-back titles in the 1990’s could’ve beaten the Chicago Bulls that won three straight titles prior.
Kenny Smith’s job in the middle of the 1990’s was to take and make 3-pointers for the Houston Rockets. Kenny Smith’s job today is talk basically under the Turner Broadcasting Network during Inside the NBA.
Luckily for him, he’s not playing anymore because provoking Michael Jordan at anything at any age isn’t a smart idea, but the former two-time NBA Champion did just that in a recent interview that got some people talking.
In an interview with Scoop B Radio (h/t Bleacher Report), Smith was asked on whether or not his Rockets could’ve beaten Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, who won three straight NBA titles in 1991, 1992 and 1993.
Here’s the transcribed version of what Smith said:
"“Oh we would’ve beat them. And actually everyone forgets he was playing the second year, he was wearing No. 45 and the team they lost to, the Orlando Magic, we swept them. We were that much better than them that year and they lost to them.”"
(Smith is technically right, but remember, Jordan came back towards the end of that 1994-95 NBA season and played in just 17 regular season games and then in 10 playoff games before the Shaq and Penny-led Magic eliminated the Bulls in six games.)
Smith continued on and said:
"“Even if a good, healthy Michael takes them to seven and maybe wins we would’ve beat the Bulls without a question, they didn’t match up well with us and during those years that they were actually winning championships, which wasn’t the playoffs. We were 8-2 against them during those years. We matched up well with them. We wouldn’t have been scared I tell you that much.”"
(That’s not exactly correct in terms of the record, but the Rockets did go 5-1 against the Bulls during those first three championship years for the Bulls. However, in the five years after those championships, including the Rockets’ two title runs, the Bulls went 7-3 against the Rockets.)
You can watch the full interview below. (The Bulls-Rockets talk starts around the 3:05 mark.)
Still, even as a fellow North Carolina alum like Smith is, saying you’ll beating Michael Jordan in anything is probably something you don’t want to do. Because there’s one thing MJ wants more than anything in life other than celebrating a gambling victory and that’s to win, no matter if it’s basketball, golf, etc.
Next: Draft rumor: Bulls linked to Kentucky's Hamidou Diallo
In all seriousness, a Bulls-Rockets NBA Finals series would have been one for the history books. MJ, Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant taking on Hakeem Olajuwon, Robert Horry and Clyde Drexler if we’re factoring in both Rockets teams in 1994 and 1995? That’s worth anyone’s time.