The
GAME
Interview with the Rockets’
Mario elie
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ario Elie won two NBA championships with the Rockets, one in 1994 and again in 1995, a third in 1999 helping the San Antonio Spurs win their first NBA title. Elie was dubbed the “Junkyard Dog” by his teammates. he had a reputation as a a tough defender, a fierce competitor, and an accurate and clutch outside shooter. Currently, Ellie is an analyst on the Houston Rockets broadcast team. Elie is married to Gina Gaston, a journalist, and anchorwoman for Houston’s Channel ABC13. Elie and Gaston have triplets. ESPN 97.5/ESPN 92.5. hosts Jeremy Branham and Joel Blank caught up with Ellie to talk Rockets basketball and reminisce about those Rockets glory days in the ‘90s. Jeremy Branham: Mario Elie is is very explosive. When the ball moves with us. Thanks for coming in! What do side to side and guys are attacking. I’m sure we will talk more about Garrison you make of these Rockets? Mario Elie: Crazy, JB, but very Mathews, who’s just added a nice edge excited. I’ve been going to a lot of the to the team. I love his story and love the games covering them. I just got to give toughness he brings to the squad. Jeremy Branham: Shockingly, credit to Coach Silas; after losing 15 games, you can usually lose a young you like the toughness, considering that team. But his voice was consistent, and was kind of what you used to do for the he’s been waiting 20 years for this op- Rockets when they were winning titles, portunity to coach, so he wants to do with you as the Junkyard Dog. Mario Elie: I think those guys are it his way. So now I think the guys are buying into what he’s selling, and it’s pieces. We still need our stars to be stars. You know, we picked Jalen Green seclooking good. Joel Blank: But ‘Rio, all your years ond, we got Kevin Porter. You know, and you’ve been in multiple different Christian Wood is playing some really positions. But as a longtime coach, you good ball. But I’m just liking what I’m know the best success comes when they seeing right now. Now guys are taking charges. That’s an underrated stat. play as a team. Jeremy Branham: Mario Elie is Mario Elie: Yes, and I think Jalen joining us in the studio at ESPN 97.5/ needs a little help. He’s a two-guard and 18 | Intown | January + February 2022
ESPN 92.5. Whenever you hear that name, you think Kiss of Death. Houston Rockets beating the Suns trailing in the Series three to one at the time, the first team ever to be down three one with only one home game to win the series. What do you remember about that play? And how often do people come up to you and talk about that? Mario Elie: All the time. Great play. I remember just a group of guys I was in the bunker with being down three one, us laughing down three one flying down to Phoenix, not seeing panic in that group. That was a fantastic group of men that fought with us, and we’re confident that we would come back. It was just something about that group. But, you know, we were blowing kisses and started Game five and Joe Klein blowing kisses. He’ll make a bucket, blow a kiss, and it was all in fun. So I felt once we won that game five in overtime, I knew we were going to kill him at home. We did that, and then I thought it in Game seven. I got Hakeem Olajuwon on the road in a game seven at the time, the best player in the league. You know so that I would take my chances, and it’s because of him that I could get that three. Once I let it go and went in, that first guy I looked at was Joe Klein. And you know what happened next? I
