European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 1, 1995, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 40 the stars and stripes review. Sunday monday january 1/2,1995sensible Aba keeps Ball rolling by Wendy e. Lane. A basketball writer after crowning a new Champion the Aba became known As the league that kept playing. While baseball fell victim to a players strike and the nil to an owners lockout the Aba found a temporary solution to ils labor problems by calling a truce that allowed the season to Start As scheduled. But the league whose labor contract expired just after the Houston rockets won their first Aba title crept to the Brink of a work stoppage As owners had set an oct. 31 Date for a lockout vote. One week before the Start of the season the Aba and its players Union reached a no strike no lockout agreement. While Michael Jordan was off playing baseball in Alabama and Arizona the Aba posted highs in revenues and the finals posted lows in scoring. Glenn Robinson and Anfernee Hardaway signed big Money contracts and Danny Manning and Horace Grant signed Little Money  were a number of postseason awards for Hackem Olajuwon new rules for the game and new hair colors for san an Hardaway Tonio bad boy Dennis Rodman. The $994-95 season opened amid a cacophony of referees whistles As players tried to adapt to new rules intended to Cut Down on the grabbing and holding that had proliferated Over several seasons. A a a a a a. A a. A a a illegal defense rules were tightened and the 3-Point line was moved in to generate More offence in a game in which scoring had declined in nine of the past 10 seasons. Some players and coaches groused that the new line was too easy but few were passing up the Opportunity to shoot from 22 feet. Phoenix and Seattle combined for 47 3-Point attempts on nov. 11, and Detroit a Joe Dumars made 10 in one game. A a a a a a a a a a a \ a both Marks tied Aba records. Shaquille of Neal worked on his game and was leading the league in scoring As the Orlando magic emerged As the leagues Best team Early in the season. The magic also made the years biggest free agent acquisition. Horace Grant who won three titles with Chicago turned spurned bigger Bucks from the bulls aria others to join up with Shaw and Anfernee Hardaway who in his second year held out for a nine year $70 million Deal. Quot a Charles Barkley worked on his aching Back and did no to retire after All. He came Back to a Phoenix team that was so loaded free agents Danny Manning and Wayman Tisdale signed one year contracts Worth a combined 51.85 million. There were new stars too Detroit a Grant Hill was saddled with Jordan comparisons before the season even started and Jason kiddos creative backcourt play helped Mavericks fan forget All about a 69-loss �?T93-�?T94 season. _ the top draft pick Glenn Robinson was making his Mark in Milwaukee. But not before his quest to become the a bad a first $100 million Man sparked new controversy about spiralling Rookie salaries. He settled for $68 million Over 10 years. Another Young Star Rookie of the year Chris Webber made headlines first with his contract holdout then his criticism of Golden state coach Don Nelson. The warriors ended up sending him to Wash. In ton for Tom Gugliotta and three first round draft picks in the years biggest basketball 94 champs Aba a Houston rockets most valuable player a Hakeem 01 Anu won Houston coach of the year a Lenny Wilkens at a a a a Lanta. A a a a a a a it a a a a a. Rookie of the year a Chr a Webber Golden state sixth Many Dell Curry Charlotte defensive player of the year a Olajuwon executive of the year a Bob Whitsett. A Seattle a. A a Cuba a Quad Citrus blk Jacksonville Hooters Mcaa a Arkansas Naismith award a Glenn Robinson Pur a a a due a a a a a a wooden award a Robinson Eastman award a Robinson Rupp trophy a Norm Stewart Missouri it a Villanova. Mcaa div. Ii a Cal state Bakersfield Mcaa div. Ill a Lebanon Valley a. Naia div. I a Oklahoma City . Juco div. I a Hutchinson c.c., Kan. Juco div ii Joliet j.c., Iii. Juco div. Ill a Gloucester county College . International Fiba world championship a United states Goodwill games a puerto Rico european championship a Joven Tut Badalona Spain England a thames Valley tigers prance a cup Limoges Germany a Bayer Leve Kusen Quot Israel a Maccaul Tel Aviv Italy a Buckler Bologna. A Spain a real Madrid women Mcaa a North Carolina nit Oklahoma Mcaa div. Ii North Dakota state Mcaa div. Ill capital. Ohio naia div. I a Southern Nazarene okla. Naia div. Ii a Northern state ,  div. I a Trinity Valley c.c., Texas  div. Ii a southwestern Michigan College  division Iii a Anoka Ramsey c.c., Minn. Fiba world championship a Brazil Goodwill games a United states Jones cup a United states Trade. Despite that Deal and the magic a fast Start the balance of Power in the Aba remained tilted to the West same As in 1993-94. A. Seattle finished the regular season with the leagues Best record winning 63 games. But the supersonics made history of the wrong kind when they became the first top seeded team to lose to a seventh seed falling in five first round games to the upstart nuggets. _ Phoenix hoping to reach the finals again was stopped Short by Barkley a bad Back and the rockets in the Western conference semifinals. Powered by Olajuwon and 3-Point shooting by its guards Houston dropped the first two Home  City became the watchword for a town that had never won a championship in any pro sport. A a but the rockets proved their fans wrong when they came Back to beat the suns in seven games. After that they needed Only five to oust Utah and arrive at the finals. A a meanwhile in the East no Jordan meant no fourth title for the bulls. Indiana a Reggie Miller became a Star with his 25-Point fourth Quarter in game 5 of the Eastern conference finals. The pacers took a 3-2 series Lead at Madison Square Garden but it was he kicks no wound up playing for a title. New York did things the hard Way All the Way to the end playing 25 postseason games. Despite a marquee matchup of two of Houston Hakeem Olajuwon Caps his dream season with Aba title map trophy. The leagues Best centers the finals were largely a Flop. Neither team reached 100 Points in the seven game series which Drew the lowest television ratings for an Aba championship series since 1990�?Ts finals Between Detroit and Portland. There was More wrestling than running More shoving than shooting. Rookie Sam Cassells outside shooting lifted Houston to a 2-1 Lead but Charles Oakley a rebounding inside evened it for new York in game 4. Patrick Ewing broke out of a slump with 25 Points in a game 5 Victory at the Garden in which the rockets shot 41 percent. Then Olajuwon kept the rockets alive when he swatted away a last gasp 3-Pointer by John Starks to preserve an 8684 win forcing game 7 at the Summit. Olajuwon saved his Best for last get Ting 25 Points 10 rebounds and seven assists As the rockets defense muzzled the kicks who shot 40 percent. The 7-foot Center from Nigeria was a unanimous Choice for finals map. All that and he was named the league map and ifs defensive player of the year too. A a it a been a dream season a he said