Most clutch player in Houston Rockets history: Mario Elie
NBA championships are driven by star players, and the Houston Rockets of the mid-1990s were no exception. Hakeem Olajuwon was the league’s best player with Michael Jordan playing baseball, and without him, the Rockets win neither of their two titles.
Olajuwon never reaches the Finals in 1995, however, without a role player named Marie Elie. After winning the title in 1994 the Rockets had a rocky year in 1995, including falling into a 3-1 hole against the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference semifinals. Elie was a role player, someone who bounced around the world plying his trade as a professional basketball player before digging in as an NBA rotation player. Despite his stature compared to the stars, Elie did not hesitate when his number was called.
Key Moment: The Houston Rockets battled back in that 1995 series to tie the Suns at three games apiece. In Game 7 the Rockets had the ball in a tie game, 110-110, less than 20 seconds to go. The ball was passed to Robert Horry, not yet known for his late-game heroics that would forever entrench him as a clutch superstar. Horry whipped the ball across the court into the hands of a waiting Mario Elie.
Elie launched the shot immediately, despite time on the clock and his position outside the 3-point arc. It looked good the entire way, and shot through the net, giving the Rockets a lead they would never relinquish en route to a series victory. Elie then turned and blew a kiss to Suns reserve Joe Kleine, with whom he had been battling all series long, earning his shot the moniker “Kiss of Death.”
The Rockets would go on to reach the NBA Finals again, this time dispatching the Orlando Magic for their second-straight title. Two rings for Hakeem is built on a single clutch shot from a fearless role player.