Kenny "The Jet" Smith, a former NBA player and current analyst for TNT's Inside the NBA, recently gave a motivational speech to the Golden State Warriors during the NBA playoffs. Smith drew upon his experience as a member of the Houston Rockets team that won back-to-back championships in 1994 and 1995 to inspire the Warriors to mount a comeback against their opponents. In this article, we will delve into Smith's speech and the legacy of the Rockets' championship teams.
Smith's speech was aimed at Stephen Curry and the rest of the Warriors, who were down 3-1 in their playoff series at the time. Smith told them a story about how his Rockets team was down 3-1 in the 1995 Western Conference Finals against the Phoenix Suns, but they were able to mount a comeback and win the series. Smith then pretended to get emotional and said, "You know why I'm emotional? Because I lied. We didn't win the series. We lost it. We went home and we won Game 5 and we thought we had momentum. We went home and we lost Game 6. We came back for Game 7 and we lost." Smith then said that he lied about the outcome to motivate the Warriors to win Game 5 and continue their comeback.
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The Warriors did win Game 5, but ultimately lost the series in Game 6. Despite the loss, Smith's speech was still a testament to the power of motivation and the legacy of championship teams. The Rockets teams of the mid-90s were known for their grit, determination, and resilience. Led by future Hall of Famers Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler, the Rockets were a dominant force in the NBA during that era.
One key player on those Rockets teams was Vernon Maxwell, a shooting guard who was known for his tenacious defense and clutch shooting. Maxwell played a crucial role in the Rockets' championship runs, hitting big shots and making key defensive stops when it mattered most. In a recent interview with the Houston Chronicle, Maxwell talked about the mindset of those championship teams. "We always believed we were going to win, no matter what the situation was," Maxwell said. "We had that dog in us. We weren't going to back down from anybody."
That same dog mentality is what Smith was trying to instill in the Warriors with his speech. He wanted them to believe that they could come back from a 3-1 deficit, just like his Rockets did in 1995. While the Warriors ultimately fell short, their championship pedigree and competitive spirit were on full display throughout the series.
So, Kenny "The Jet" Smith's motivational speech to the Golden State Warriors drew upon the legacy of the Houston Rockets teams that won back-to-back championships in 1994 and 1995. Smith's speech was a testament to the power of motivation and the dog mentality that championship teams possess. While the Warriors fell short in their playoff series, they still demonstrated the resilience and competitive spirit that championship teams are known for. The legacy of those Rockets teams lives on through players like Smith and Maxwell, who continue to inspire future generations of NBA players.
Keywords: Kenny Smith, Rockets, Warriors, championship, motivation, resilience, legacy, Vernon Maxwell, dog mentality, Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, NBA.
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