Throughout the 1999-2000 season the Rockets celebrated the Millennium Moments in Rockets History in celebration of the approaching new millennium. We recently asked you to select the five greatest moments in Rockets history and tell us what made these moments special to you. Some of you believe that Ralph Sampson's buzzer-beating miracle shot that propelled the Rockets into the 1986 NBA Finals was the greatest moment while others feel that the 1995 acquisition of Clyde Drexler, who led the Rockets to a second consecutive NBA title, was the sweetest moment. But the majority of you agree that the Rockets' first NBA championship a year earlier was the most unforgettable and important moment in franchise history. The Top 5 Moments in Rockets History, as voted by you the fans, appear below.

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Hakeem shows his power in his Rockets home debut. (NBA Photos)

5. (June 19, 1984) In a draft that featured Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley and John Stockton, the Rockets took just 39 seconds of their allotted five minutes to write down Hakeem Olajuwon's name on a sheet of paper and hand it to NBA Commissioner David Stern. In the 16 seasons since then, Olajuwon has led the Rockets to two NBA championships and has become one of the greatest players ever to play in the NBA. In 1994, he became the only player ever to win Defensive Player of the Year, NBA MVP and NBA Finals MVP in the same season. He entered the 1999-2000 season as the Rockets' all-time leader in 21 regular-season and playoff statistical categories.

The Rockets drafted Hakeem and that's where it all began. I've followed the Rockets and loved them all, but he is by far the best player ever to play with the Rockets B he is the Houston Rockets!
Kristi -- The Woodlands, TX

4. (May 22- June 1, 1995) David Robinson was in the wrong place at the wrong time. For six games during the 1995 Western Conference Finals, the reigning NBA MVP was standing between Hakeem Olajuwon and the basket. Olajuwon used a variety of fakes, hooks and Dream Shakes to drive past, escape from, and score over Robinson and the Spurs' double-and-triple teams. In the series, Olajuwon outscored Robinson 212-146, pouring in 40 or more points in three of the games. Olajuwon cemented himself as one of the greatest basketball players of all time by turning in one of the most dominant individual performances in NBA history. "He (Robinson) worked so hard to keep up with all my fakes, but he couldn't," Olajuwon said. "I was at my best."

Hakeem just took David to school. He was showing him who was the real MVP. I will never forget that series.
Abdullah -- Big Rapids, MI

3. (May 20, 1995) Everybody expected Mario Elie to throw the ball to Hakeem Olajuwon, but Elie had a feeling he was going to be the one to kiss the Phoenix Suns goodbye. With the score tied at 110 late in Game 7 of the 1995 Western Conference Semifinals, Robert Horry spotted Elie across the floor in perfect position to get the ball to Olajuwon. "Dream was wide-open, but I had my feet set. I let it go and it felt good," Elie said. As his shot swished through the net, he ran toward the Suns' bench and blew a kiss to let them know the game was over. The Rockets won 115-114.

Elie's game-winning "3" in the Desert because I was in a hotel room in Dallas watching it. After the shot, I went running down the hallway yelling and jumping all around. It was awesome.
Chris -- Harker Heights, TX

Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler celebrate winning the 1995 NBA title. (NBA Photos)

2. (June 14, 1995) One year after winning their first title, the Rockets became the fifth franchise in NBA history to repeat as champions. All it took was a major trade and one of the greatest runs in playoff history. After acquiring superstar Clyde Drexler from Portland in February, the Rockets limped into the playoffs as a No. 6 seed after a rash of injuries hit the team late in the season. They then surprised everybody by winning four straight playoff series against the teams with the best four records in the NBA. The Rockets completed their sweep of the Orlando Magic in the 1995 NBA Finals with a 113-101 Game 4 win to become the lowest playoff seed ever to win an NBA title.

The Rockets winning their second championship, because they were not supposed to do anything in the playoffs and proved to everyone that they were deserving of the first championship. It made me proud to be a Rockets fan.
Cody -- Moscow, ID

Hakeem Olajuwon and his Rockets teammates accept the Larry O'Brien championship trophy from NBA Commissioner David Stern after Houston's 90-84 Game 7 win over New York. (NBA Photos)

1. (June 22, 1994) As the crowd counted down the remaining seconds and his teammates celebrated all around him, Hakeem Olajuwon took a seat on the scorer's table and smiled. He was an NBA champion and the city of Houston finally had a championship to call its own. The Rockets captured their first NBA title by defeating the New York Knicks 90-84 in Game 7 of the 1994 NBA Finals. "My celebration was to watch everybody being ecstatic, rejoicing, jumping on tables and hugging each other, showing emotion in their own way," said Olajuwon, the unanimous MVP of the Finals. He finished the game with 25 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and three blocked shots and then took turns hugging the Larry O'Brien championship trophy with his teammates and first-year owner Leslie Alexander. Rockets Head Coach Rudy Tomjanovich and his former roommate Calvin Murphy, who had become Rockets for life via the 1970 NBA Draft, met on the court and hugged. "Houston, you've wanted this for so long. You've finally got it," Tomjanovich said later. "I'm proud to be part of a team that got it for you." And while most of Houston partied in the night, Olajuwon celebrated with a smile. "Champion! I always wanted be called a champion."

I was in Section 104 for Game 7. My mother and I watched as the Rockets offed the Knicks on John Starks' worst shooting night. Greatest Rockets game ever. I hugged my Mom. We had finally done it.
Jon -- Farmington, NM