As the Houston Rockets celebrate the 30th anniversary of their 1994 NBA championship, fans are able to relive the glory days by watching replays of all games from the NBA Finals. The games are being condensed to two hours each and broadcasted by Space City Home Network. The series started off with Game 1 on June 8 and Game 2 on June 10, with the next five games scheduled to be aired through June 22. The Rockets managed to make an incredible comeback after being down three games to two against the New York Knicks, ultimately winning the series and delivering the city’s first major sports championship.
During the 1993-1994 season, the Rockets had the 19th highest payroll in the league with a total team payroll of $16.757 million. Comparing this to current salaries, it is interesting to note that two current Rockets players, Dillon Brooks and Fred VanVleet, both earn amounts that exceed the entire team payroll from 1994. Hakeem Olajuwon, who was the team’s star player and the league MVP in 1994, earned $3.17 million that year, which would amount to $6.698 million in current US dollars when adjusted for inflation. VanVleet, who signed with Houston last summer, is currently the team’s highest paid player, making up 30.39% of the team’s total cap.
Looking at the salaries of other key starters from the 1994 championship team, players like Otis Thorpe, Kenny Smith, Vernon Maxwell, and Robert Horry earned significantly less than today’s players, despite being crucial to the team’s success. Even Sam Cassell, a key reserve player off the bench, earned just $650,000 in 1994. In comparison, the Rockets’ top two first round draft picks from 2023-2024, Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore, earned $8.81 million and $3.218 million, respectively, showing how salaries in the NBA have increased over the years due to various collective bargaining agreements and changes in player contracts.
Since their back-to-back championship wins in 1994 and 1995, the Rockets have faced a 29-year championship drought. The team showed improvement last season by winning 41 games, but they have not been able to match the dominance of players like Olajuwon from their championship years. While there is optimism about the team’s young core and potential for the future, reclaiming the championship title will be a challenging task for the Rockets.
Overall, the evolution of player salaries and the changes in the NBA’s collective bargaining agreements have led to a significant increase in player earnings over the years. Despite the challenges faced by the Rockets in reclaiming the championship glory of the 1990s, fans can look back on the team’s historic win in 1994 and remember the excitement and pride it brought to the city of Houston. Watching the replays of the NBA Finals games from 1994 serves as a reminder of the team’s past success and the hope for future achievements in the years to come.
