IN a year plagued by strikes to America's national pastime to the return of basketball superstar Michael Jordan, 1995 has proved interesting in US sport.
Despite being billed as the 'comeback of the century', the return of Jordan to basketball after an 18-month absence to play baseball was overshadowed by Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets.
After the NBA defending champions floated through the regular season to a rather unimpressive sixth-place finish, a mid-season trade with Portland reunited the towering Nigerian with his old college buddy, Clyde Drexler, providing just the ingredient the Rockets needed.
Overcoming a season of injuries and the suspension of Vernon Maxwell, the Rockets gelled in the playoffs, beating Utah, Phoenix and San Antonio to set up a final against the Orlando Magic.
Shutting down the Magic's big gun, Shaquille O'Neal, Olajuwon averaged 32.8 points a game as Houston won the series four straight for their second consecutive NBA crown.
The return of Jordan bodes well for the NBA next season. After a relatively unsuccessful baseball stint with a Chicago Whitesox farm team, the Chicago Bulls ace proved he could still dominate on the court as he hit a season record 55 points in only his fifth game back.