The 1994 NBA Season

Looking back at the 1994 NBA season it was a year of great change. A new Collective Bargaining Agreement was in place, resulting in a shorter season. And for the first time in over two decades, there was no Michael Jordan

Introduction

The 1994 NBA season was the 48th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The season ended with the Houston Rockets defeating the New York Knicks 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals to win their first NBA Championship as well as giving Hakeem Olajuwon his first Finals MVP Award Michael Jordan who had led the Chicago Bulls to three consecutive NBA championships from 1991 to 1993, announced his retirement from basketball on October 6, 1993, but returned to the Bulls on March 18, 1995.

The teams

In the 1994 NBA season there were 27 teams. Of these, 22 teams qualified for the playoffs. The playoffs began on April 29 and ended on June 16, with the Houston Rockets defeating the New York Knicks in seven games to win the NBA Finals

The players

The NBA season began on November 3, 1993 and ended on June 16, 1994. The regular season was shortened due to a labor dispute between the NBA players and the owners. As a result, each team only played 50 games instead of the usual 82. This was the first time since the 1948-49 season that the league played less than 82 games.

The 1994 NBA season was dominated by two players: Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon. Jordan, who played for the Chicago Bulls won his fifth straight NBA Scoring Title averaging 30.4 points per game Olajuwon, who played for the Houston Rockets won his second straight NBA MVP award and led his team to the NBA Finals

In the Eastern Conference the top seed went to the Indiana Pacers who had a young player named Reggie Miller on their team. The New York Knicks were seeded second and they featured a player named Patrick Ewing The Atlanta Hawks were seeded third and they had a player named Dominique Wilkins The Charlotte Hornets were seeded fourth and they had a player named Alonzo Mourning.

In the Western Conference the top seed went to the San Antonio Spurs, who were led by a player named David Robinson The second seed went to the Houston Rockets who were led by Hakeem Olajuwon. The third seed went to the Portland Trail Blazers who were led by a player named Clyde Drexler The fourth seed went to the Phoenix Suns who were led by a player named Charles Barkley

The games

The National Basketball Association (NBA) season of 1993–94 was the 48th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The season ended with the Houston Rockets defeating the New York Knicks 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals to win their first NBA Championship It was also the first season for the Salt Lake City franchise, later known as the Utah Jazz

The playoffs

In the 1994 NBA season the playoffs began on April 21 and ended on June 16, with the Houston Rockets defeating the New York Knicks in seven games to win their second consecutive NBA Championship A total of 15 teams qualified for the playoffs. The Seattle SuperSonics had the best record in the league with 63 wins and 19 losses, and were seeded first in the Western Conference The Indiana Pacers were seeded first in the Eastern Conference with 58 wins and 24 losses.

The finals

The 1994 NBA season was the 48th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The season ended with the Houston Rockets winning the NBA championship sweeping the New York Knicks in four games. It was also the first season for the newly formed Minnesota Timberwolves and Vancouver Grizzlies

The aftermath

After the conclusion of the 1993 NBA season the 1994 season was marked by a number of controversies. The most notable was the ongoing rivalry between the Chicago Bulls and the New York Knicks which came to a head during a highly physical game in Madison Square Garden The game, which became known as the ” Fight Night at Madison Square Garden”, resulted in a number of suspensions and fines.

The legacy

The 1994 NBA season was the 48th season of the National Basketball Association The season ended with the Houston Rockets defeating the New York Knicks 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals to win their first NBA championship becoming the third team in NBA history to win a championship as a sixth seed. The legacy of the 1994 NBA season lives on today as it is considered one of the best seasons in NBA history

Media coverage

TV coverage
In the 1994–95 NBA Season 44% of NBA games were televised. Traditionally, NBC had televised NBA Games on Sunday afternoons. However, for the 1994–95 season, NBC changed its broadcast day to Saturday nights. Additionally, for the first time since 1990, two regular-season games were televised on opening night. On November 4, 1994, the Houston Rockets faced the Phoenix Suns at America West Arena in Phoenix, and the Los Angeles Lakers faced the Portland Trail Blazers at Portland Memorial Coliseum. The games were televised on TNT as part of a new four-year contract between TNT and the NBA that was signed in October 1994. TNT replaced TBS as the exclusive cable home of NBA basketball

In terms of local TV coverage, each team was allowed to televise 70 of its 82 regular-season games on its respective local broadcaster. The remaining 12 games were national TV exclusives (NBC or TNT).

Popular culture

The 1994 NBA season was marked by the start of a new era. Michael Jordan the league’s biggest star, had retired from basketball to pursue a career in baseball. The resulting void in the NBA was filled by a number of younger players, who helped to create a new wave of popularity for the sport.

The most notable of these young players was Shaquille O’Neal, who made an immediate impact with his size and athleticism. Other standouts included Anfernee Hardaway, Gary Payton and Alonzo Mourning. These players helped lead their teams to the playoffs, where they provided some of the most exciting moments of the year.

In the end, it was the Houston Rockets who emerged as champions, defeating the New York Knicks in seven games. The victory capped off an incredible year for the Rockets, who had also won the title in 1993. It was also a sweet moment for Hakeem Olajuwon, who was named MVP of both the regular season and the playoffs.