This matchup was Hakeem Olajuwon's second NBA Finals appearance, his other being in 1986, when Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics defeated the Rockets, four games to two.

For the Knicks, Riley had the unfortunate distinction of becoming the first (and to date, the only) coach to lose a Game 7 NBA Finals on two teams, having lost to the Celtics in 1984.

It also denied him the distinction of being the first coach to win a Game 7 NBA Finals with two teams, having defeated the Detroit Pistons in 1988.

Olajuwon's first nine NBA seasons included numerous All-Star, All-NBA and All-Defensive selections, but the closest he got to a championship was in 1986, when the Rockets fell two games short of a title against a powerful Boston Celtics team.

In response, the Rockets used the headline as motivation, overcoming a 0–2 deficit to defeat the Suns in seven games (earning the nickname '"Clutch City").

In contrast to the fast-paced style of Showtime he used with the Los Angeles Lakers, Riley took a more deliberate and physical approach in New York.

They had a hard time disposing of a Chicago Bulls team that had lost Michael Jordan to retirement (which lasted until the final months of the following season), but managed to win all four home games to advance.

The Houston Rockets won both games in the regular season series: Although most fans in New York, and some members of the national media, considered John Starks, who shot 2-for-18 from the field in Game 7, a contributing factor in the Knicks' loss in the series, another important factor was Olajuwon's performance.

NBA studio host Bob Costas acted as the anchor for both events, tossing to Marv Albert for the game and then to Tom Brokaw of NBC News for updates on the chase.

[7][8] KNBC in Los Angeles, serving the media market where the police were tracking Simpson, left the Game 5 broadcast completely for the chase with local coverage narrated by Paul Moyer and Colleen Williams; the station did not put up a split screen until the end of the game, which was still close.

Then, as the NBA's trading deadline approached, on February 14, 1995, the Rockets acquired Olajuwon's "Phi Slama Jama" teammate Clyde Drexler.

During the Finals, Viacom stepped up in trying to sell their Madison Square Garden properties, which included the Knicks and the New York Rangers.

After the season, Pat Riley left the Knicks after they balked at his request for a stake in ownership and the role of team president in negotiations for an extension.

This was the last NBA Finals for three of the league's longest-tenured and most recognizable referees: Darell Garretson, Jack Madden and Jake O'Donnell.

The only New York-based team that prevailed over Houston was the New York Mets, who won over the then-NL member Astros in the NLCS in their 1986 championship season.