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<< Previous Next >> -------------------- March 13, 2008 20(and up?)
The Houston Rockets have been on a tear since before the All Star break and they had their 2 stars; Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady. Yet shortly after the All Star break Yao went down for the season. However their streak has continued and is now at number 20. What a stunning run. We were big fans of Jeff Van Gundy, but it seems Rick Adelman has found a way to unleash the full potential of this rocket the way everyone expected. The NBa's record for consecutive wins is 33. That was done by the 1971-72 L.A Lakers. That team had an aging Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West scraping away in the trwilight of their careers. The 33 wins is also decribed as the longuest winning streak in professional sports by the Guiness Book of World Records. We're not meaning to imply a parallel situation here as the Rockets were winning before Yao Ming went out. But we'd like to give everybody a history lesson. Gather around: in 1971 when the Lakers began their streak, Elgin Baylor had retired mid season the day before the streak began. It was said that he was upset after he was asked by coach Bill Sharman to give up his starting small forward position to an average Jim McMillian. Sharman's gamble paid off the Lakers finished with a 69-13 record, and the Lakers' first NBA title. By the way the last team to also have a 20 win streak the 1970-71 Bucks, lead by Lew Alcindor and Oscar Robertson they too went on to win the Bucks' first and only NBA title to date. Alcindor later changed his name to Kareem Abdul Jabbar. Are there similar spoils in story for the Rockets? Kobe and Tim Duncan would have something to say about that, but it certainly looks to be a promising season. << Previous Next >> 2007-08 archive 
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