Rockets coaching great Rudy Tomjanovich's iconic NBA Finals speech happened 29 years ago
Rudy Tomjanovich's "Heart of a Champion" rally cry after the 1995 NBA Finals sweep is one echoed in ABC's Finals coverage since.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- ABC13 will be home to a historic NBA Finals win either by the Boston Celtics or the Dallas Mavericks.
Whoever wins, they'll have a challenge topping an iconic post-championship speech given 29 years prior.
On June 14, 1995, the Houston Rockets completed their NBA Finals sweep of the Orlando Magic, winning Game 4 at home in The Summit.
Die-hard Rockets fans might remember Clyde Drexler's breakaway dunk or Hakeem Olajuwon's rare three-point attempt late in that 113-101 victory.
But the moment that lived on in Houston lore was head coach Rudy Tomjanovich's iconic speech after the franchise won its second straight title.
According to pundits and league circles, the Rockets weren't supposed to be there. After all, despite holding the second-best preseason championship odds, Houston wasn't as dominant as the 4.5-to-1 odds suggest. They qualified for the playoffs as the sixth seed and had to play in deciding final games in their first two series.
So, "Rudy T" clearly had a chip on his shoulder, given what he said to legendary sports broadcaster Bob Costas.
"No one's ever done what this team's done. Come from the sixth seed, down in series. We won nine road games, and we had non-believers all along the way. I have one thing to say to those non-believers. Don't ever underestimate the heart of a champion," Tomjanovich declared.
That soundbite has a legacy of its own. ABC's NBA Finals coverage has used "Don't ever underestimate the heart of a champion" as part of its signature video packages, a goosebump-inducing cry for what's at stake.
In 2005, Tomjanovich revealed to the Houston Chronicle's Fran Blinebury, in a bit of humor, that elements of the speech derived from Kevin Johnson, a Phoenix Suns player eliminated during that title run.
"Actually, I stole it from Kevin Johnson. After we came back to beat Phoenix in one of those early playoff games, I remember reading his comments. He said, 'Those guys are like cockroaches. You keep trying to step on them, but they always scurry away and come back. They have the heart of a champion,'" Tomjanovich told the Chronicle. "In that moment, up there after we clinched, it just came back to me. It was my response to all of the doubters. It said everything about us."
Don't ever estimate the heart of a hall of famer.
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