It’s one of those matchups every NBA fan wishes had happened: the Houston Rockets of Hakeem Olajuwon against the Chicago Bulls of Michael Jordan. Despite sharing the league stage for 14 seasons, the two dynasties never met in the NBA Finals — leaving generations of fans to wonder what might have been.

The former Houston center addressed that hypothetical during an appearance on FS1’s First Things First on Wednesday. Analyst Nick Wright asked Olajuwon whether he believed his Rockets could have beaten Jordan’s Bulls in the Finals — and the Hall of Famer didn’t hesitate to give his honest take.

“People ask me that question all the time. And the only thing we can refer back to is that we played in the regular season,” Olajuwon said. “We didn’t play in the playoffs, but in the regular season, I think Chicago had trouble playing against Houston. Facts are facts.”

“But we don’t know about the playoffs — things might change,” Olajuwon said. “I’m comfortable with my team. We would have done some damage.” The Rockets were a solid team and very physical; without a doubt, they probably could have reached a 7-series NBA finals.

Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls looks on during the game.
When the Rockets and Bulls actually faced off

Drafted in the same year (1984), both Jordan and Olajuwon went on to become icons of their generation. Olajuwon captured his two NBA championships during Jordan’s first retirement from basketball in the mid-1990s. Still, the hypothetical Finals matchup remains one of the great “what ifs” in NBA history.

The Rockets and Bulls squared off 23 times in the regular season, with Houston holding the upper hand. Chicago struggled to contain Olajuwon’s dominance in the paint, as the Rockets won 13 of those matchups while the Bulls claimed 10.

Had the two met in the Finals and the Rockets prevailed, it would have underscored the enduring value of dominant big men in an era increasingly ruled by guards. Olajuwon’s brilliance challenged Chicago’s supremacy, even if Jordan’s absence from the league during Houston’s championship years adds an asterisk to the debate.