Feb. 14, 1995 — The Houston Rockets acquire Clyde Drexler and Tracy Murray from the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Otis Thorpe, Marcelo Nicola, and a first-round draft pick. Drexler’s acquisition paves the way for an unlikely second consecutive championship.
At the time of the trade, Portland was far removed from contention and was compelled to honor Drexler’s trade request or risk losing him in free agency. According to a report by the Associated Press, Drexler was ecstatic to rejoin longtime friend Hakeem Olajuwon.
“I can’t wait for the first game, I really can’t,” Drexler said after arriving in Houston and meeting with Olajuwon. “He’s the best player in the league, and it’s been a dream of ours ever since we left the University of Houston to play together again.”
Despite entering the playoffs later that year with a 47-35 record, the team thrived, defeating the Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns, and San Antonio Spurs before sweeping the Orlando Magic in the NBA Finals. Drexler averaged 20.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in the postseason.
To this day, Houston remains the lowest seed (No. 6) ever to win the championship.
The Rockets made the playoffs in each year of Drexler’s tenure before he retired in 1998 at age 35. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004. Olajuwon would follow in 2008.
