The world changed for the Houston Rockets in the second year of Rewritten Rings. In reality, Houston landed the No. 1 overall pick in 1984 and selected Akeem Olajuwon, laying the foundation for the franchise’s future.
In our universe, however, the Rockets had already made the playoffs in 1984, leaving them with the 10th pick and Tony Campbell instead. One year later, they would find their future superstar.
Without Olajuwon in Houston, the Rockets struggled in 1985 and landed the second overall pick in the draft, selecting Karl Malone to join Ralph Sampson.
In reality, Malone fell all the way to 13th, where the Utah Jazz selected him to pair with John Stockton. That partnership would eventually take Utah to the NBA Finals twice in the late 1990s, only to lose both times to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.
In Rewritten Rings, Malone wouldn't have to worry about Jordan, but his career would take a completely different path. Instead of Utah, he would build his legacy in Houston, alongside Sampson, before eventually taking his talents to several other franchises.
Malone made an immediate impact. In his rookie season, he helped the Rockets return to the playoffs as the fifth seed, although they fell in the first round to Clyde Drexler and the Portland Trail Blazers.
The following year brought another first-round exit, this time at the hands of Olajuwon's Clippers. Houston was making progress, but Malone was still searching for that breakthrough postseason run.
That breakthrough finally arrived in 1988. Malone and the Rockets won their first playoff series, defeating Alvin Robertson and the Sacramento Kings.
They weren't finished there, either. Houston followed that victory by upsetting the defending Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks, winning the series 4-2 and advancing to the Western Conference Finals.
Waiting for them were the Showtime Lakers, setting up what would become the first of many postseason battles between these two franchises.
Houston was venturing into unfamiliar territory, but Malone and the Rockets proved they belonged, pushing Los Angeles all the way to Game 7 before their run came to an end. They had fallen short, but a new contender was emerging in the West.
The following season, Houston captured the No. 1 seed and once again found itself facing the Lakers, this time in the Western Conference Semifinals.
Malone got his revenge, sending Los Angeles home and returning the Rockets to the Conference Finals for the second consecutive year. There, Houston swept Isiah Thomas, Len Bias, and the Seattle SuperSonics to punch its ticket to the NBA Finals.
In just his fourth NBA season, Malone had reached the Finals, a milestone he wouldn't achieve in reality until eight years later into his career. His opponent was the defending champion Washington Bullets, led by none other than John Stockton.
Unfortunately for Malone, the champs proved too much, and Houston's first Finals appearance ended in a five-game defeat. Still, the Rockets had arrived, and Malone was already accomplishing things that took his real-life counterpart much longer to achieve.
Houston returned to the Western Conference Finals the following season, but the Lakers had strengthened their roster with Terry Cummings and reclaimed the top seed.
This time, Los Angeles ended the Rockets' run in five games. Malone had reached the Conference Finals three straight seasons, but the ultimate prize remained just out of reach.
That changed in 1991, when Malone captured his first league MVP award. Houston also made a major move, trading for 1985 Rookie of the Year Alvin Robertson to strengthen an already formidable roster featuring Sampson in the middle.
The revamped Rockets tore through the Western Conference, losing just one game in the first round against Robertson's former team, the Kings, before continuing their march to the Finals.
Waiting for them were the Detroit Pistons, who had signed Len Bias in free agency. Houston raced out to a 3-1 series lead, putting itself one win away from a championship.
But Detroit refused to go quietly, winning three straight games to force a decisive Game 7. With the season hanging in the balance, the Rockets held their ground at home and captured the championship.
Karl Malone was an NBA champion and league MVP, accomplishing both in the same season. It was the kind of year that had eluded him in reality, and he achieved it in 1991, the very season Michael Jordan and the Bulls won their first championship in the real NBA. In this universe, Malone had his moment at the top.
And he wasn't done.
In 1992, Malone won his second consecutive league MVP, and Houston once again finished as the No. 1 seed. What followed was the most dominant postseason runs in NBA history.
The Rockets won all 15 of their playoff games, becoming the first team ever to finish the playoffs 15-0 on their way to back-to-back championships. After years of falling short, Malone and Houston had established themselves as the team to beat.
You might expect the Rockets to chase a third consecutive title. Instead, Malone stunned the basketball world by signing with the Phoenix Suns in the offseason.
He was leaving a championship team, a dominant frontcourt partnership with Sampson, and a chance to build a dynasty in Houston. Whatever his reasons, the move would change the rest of his career.
Houston got the last laugh almost immediately. Sampson and the Rockets met Malone's Suns in the Western Conference Semifinals and eliminated them in an upset. Malone had left the team he helped lead to consecutive championships, only to watch his former teammates continue their without him.
The next few seasons brought more disappointment. In 1994, Malone and Phoenix faced a familiar opponent in Isiah Thomas, who had left Seattle after Bias and eventually joined the Portland Trail Blazers.
It was Thomas and Portland who swept Malone's Suns out of the playoffs. The following year, Phoenix returned to the Semifinals, only to be swept again, this time by Joe Dumars and the Seattle SuperSonics. After two consecutive postseason disappointments, Malone's time in Phoenix came to an end.
He joined Mark Price in San Antonio, hoping to find another contender. In his first season with the Spurs, Malone returned to the Western Conference Finals, a stage he had visited so many times during his Houston years.
But the young trio of Billy Owens, Larry Johnson, and Alonzo Mourning in Minnesota proved too much for San Antonio, ending Malone's latest championship pursuit.
1997 marked the first time Malone missed the playoffs in his career. The Spurs bounced back the following year, returning to the Western Conference Finals in 1998. There, Malone would face one of the most familiar opponents of his career: Len Bias.
By this point, Bias had played for three teams, while Malone had encountered him in the playoffs every time they crossed paths. Before this series, Malone held a perfect 3-0 postseason record against Bias.
But Bias had signed with the Golden State Warriors in the 1997 offseason, helping them finish as the West's No. 1 seed. This time, there would be no escape for Malone. Golden State swept San Antonio, and Bias finally got his revenge.
Malone would continue his career with brief stops in Cleveland and Chicago before retiring in 2001. His journey had taken him from a young star in Houston to a two-time champion.
His Rewritten Rings résumé speaks for itself: two NBA championships, two league MVP awards, two Finals MVP awards, 13 All-Star selections, a Hall of Fame career, and a retired number in Houston. The Rockets didn't just give Malone a home; they gave him the opportunity to become a champion.
In reality, Malone was also a two-time league MVP and a Hall of Famer and he earned one more All-Star selection than he did in our universe. He remained with Utah through 2003 before joining the Los Angeles Lakers in 2004 to chase the championship that had eluded him. He reached the Finals for a third time, only to lose again.
So which career would Malone choose? The real-life version had the longer run with one franchise and three trips to the Finals, but never won a championship. The Rewritten Rings version won two titles, two Finals MVP awards, and reached the summit of the sport twice.
I have a feeling the Mailman wouldn't mind delivering one fewer All-Star appearance if it meant bringing home two championship rings. In reality, Karl Malone is remembered as one of the greatest players never to win a title. In Rewritten Rings, the Mailman finally delivers.
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