NBA Legends Explain Why Hakeem Olajuwon Was So Good
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- čas přidán 15. 06. 2024
- #hakeemolajuwon #michaeljordan #lebronjames
NBA Legends explain why Hakeem Olajuwon was so great
Olajuwon reached the pinnacle of his career in the mid-1990s. He was named the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year for the 1992-93 and 1993-94 seasons and was also the league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1993-94. His MVP season was capped with a seven-game victory over the New York Knicks in the NBA finals, and Olajuwon was named finals MVP for his efforts. He led the Rockets to a second championship the following year and was again named finals MVP. His production slipped because of injuries and age in the late 1990s, and in 2001 he was traded to the Toronto Raptors, where he played only one season before retiring in 2002. At the time of his retirement, Olajuwon ranked 7th in career points scored in the NBA (26,946) and 11th in career rebounds (13,748); he was also the league’s all-time leader in blocked shots (3,830). A 12-time All-Star, Olajuwon was named one of the NBA’s 50 greatest players in 1996, and he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008.
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Nobody criticizes the Rocket about drafting Hakeem instead of MJ. This shows how amazing he is.
Great point!
Why would they? Olajuwon was beating Jordan 11 out of 16 times for 9 seasons
Really can’t criticize Portland because they had Clyde Drexler and needed a big man. Looking back on how great Jordan became yeah they should of drafted Jordan but at the time it was the right move.
shiiiiiit..... easy for you to say. I don't know about you.... but if I was a Houston Rockets fan.... I would feel some kind of way about that draft...
And it wouldn't be all puppy dogs and dandy lions
@@martinmackye9865 no you wouldn’t have. There wasn’t a single Rockets fan during that time who thought Hakeem wasn’t the right choice.
People forget Hakeem dominated Shaq in that finals, outscored him every game of the series and Shaq had twice as many turnovers, Hakeem had the second most steals that series. Hakeem was special.
Yes Absolutely 💯
yes to a young Shaq, you also forgot that
@@cassiuspharell8711 if Shaq was young then Hakeem was old.
@@MandyGoldenGoddessFan and where was Shaq at the age of 32?
On his 3rd team.... overweight and and being led by Dwayne Wade as he was no longer good enough to be a teams' go to guy offensively.
He couldn't even outrebound 6'9" Ben Wallace h2h as Miami lost at home to Detroit.
@@cassiuspharell8711 a young Shaq that averaged 29 points that season (his highest ever points averaged in any season, yes he averaged more/the same in Orlando then the Lakers Shaq) you act like Orlando Shaq is Javaile Mcgee or sum shit😂🤦🏽♂️
At 37 years old I have always felt that this guy is my top center. I am from nj, was a Knick fan, and love Ewing accordingly. Ewing was excellent-but The Dream was true.
IF U LOOK OLD NBA LIVE GAMES THEY ACTUALLY HAD BEST RATINGS MOST REALISTIC
MINE RATINGS OF CENTERS WOULD BE LITTLE ADJUSTED FROM MY XP :
99 WILT (GOD AND GOAT PLAYER TOO)
98 DREAM (GOAT I RANK HIM OVER MJ TOO HIM AND WILT ARE BEST IN HISTORY)
97 JABBAR
96 RUSSELL
95 ADMIRAL (PPL DONT REALIZE HOW GREAT HE IS)
94 MOSES
93 SHAQ
92 EWING
91 WILLIS REED
90 EMBIID
89 THURMOND
88 MOURNING
87 WALTON
86 BEN WALLACE (LACK OF OFFENSE BUT MORE COMPLETE THAN MUTOMBO IN DEFENSE CAUSE STEALS)
86 HOWARD (PRIME)
85 JOKIC
85 MUTOMBO (LACK OF OFFENSE)
I love ewing too, both are Top center at those era
@@PIP...33 Hard to adjust for different eras. Russell had more championships because he was such a team player and leader. You can't discount that influence on the court. You don't have Yao Ming on there... and he constantly dominated Shaq. If you go just for when they first came into the league. Moses Malone was unbelievably fast and big (and had attitude). Either way, it is fun to speculate. But we'll never know for sure.
@@jonlanier_ i didnt rank prime sabonis tho he is around 90 rating, yao is around 86 maybe 87 cause of lack of speed and vertical...Nate 5'7 blocked him. Jokic should be on list I forget him he is around 86 to 89 ...Bob Lanier around 84 Parish 85 etc.
@@jonlanier_ Russell has no shooting he is great in layups. His real rating should be max 91 or 93 but Russell speed, vertical, leadership and of course defense I put him little higher tho Shaq is stronger 1 on 1 Russell would drain his stamina in transition.
Russell stamina speed is better for team but 1 on 1 Shaq would BBQ him.
As I mention before ppl not realize Admiral greatness. He is complete 2 way player and then u add athletic perfect body I never saw better looking player. He is ripped and strong and muscular but what is even more impressive guy was in navy he is literally SEAL soldier of NBA.
Definitely my favourite center. The agility, un-selfishness, defensive AND offensive threats,... In my starting 5 all day
Totally agree. What separates Hakeem for me is his ability to defend positions 1-5. He was kinda like Giannis defensively except he was even bigger and a better rim protctor. Not to mention his diverse offensive repertoire (post iso, midrange, offensive rebounding, some playmaking).
@@Jenkdog14 yep !! You can ask him to defend your rim of the opponent's center, or block the opposite SG from moving. He was really quick and had a IQ really high ! You can build an offensive scheme where he is involved not necessarily as the shooter but the passer as well . And you know that he will make everything to protect your zone. He was a "team player" when he could have been a "star player". And that is maximum valuable !
I'll take Wilt against you, who gets MJ?
@@eyestoseefe7618 What do you mean???
@@Jenkdog14 over rated stop it 2 champion 🏆 in 18 years is losing 16 times
Even as a 5-8 high school player, the spin cycle was part of what little game I had.
It's better for smaller players because lower center of gravity just like gymnasts are pretty darn short too which I'm guessing why so few centers in NBA history had used it as a main move so it further speaks of the dreams dedication to work on harder aspects of the game and such choices of strategic training and forethought was his real weapon.
I remember watching the 94 Finals and practicing the Dream Shake on the courts as a 10 year old kid. Dream is my GOAT, respect to Jordan and anyone else, but Dream is my persoanl favorite of all time.
I was lucky to live in Houston all my life so I got to see Hakeem since his university of Houston days. To see that 18 year old skinny kid with raw athletic ability morph into a unstoppable force was unreal. Hakeem never not gave it 100% in a game
Same here phi-slama-JAMA
In my 30 years of watching basketball, Hakeem and MJ are the greatest two-way players I’ve seen.
Hakeem is the only top 12 player in NBA history who never had a Hall of Fame teammate in his prime for an extended period of time. Nobody wins championships alone, but he really had minimal help. Of course it’s hypothetical, but if he had a Kobe on his team for 8 years, it’s hard to imagine they wouldn’t have won at least 4 rings together.
The Ultimate 2 way player.. It was like a cheat code who was smooth yet fierce he was on both sides of the ball
For genesis Sega mega drive game NBA 9x, hakkem was the only guy that was nearly unblockable and the only 💯 guy other than Jordan though I don't think they licensed the players but gamers knew..
🔥💪
I get alot of heat for this, but Hakeem was my all time favorite TO WATCH..... he was like all the greats who came before him wrapped in one. Most complete big man of all time 4 me. From hook shots to no dribble faints to killer defense. Truly worthy of being called unguardable in his prime
While Hakeem is great, the Rockets only chance at beating the Bulls would have been the season that the Magic beat the Bulls in the playoffs.
Why do i say that?
Because what did the Bulls do the the Magic the following season?
That is exactly what would have happened to the Rockets had they been good enough to make it out of the west which we know they weren’t.
@@jrsmith1998 pfft they would've stomped on the Bulls in 86 in addition to 95. Hakeem led the Rockets to the Finals before Jordan did with the Bulls.
And woulda coulda shoulda the Rockets would've mopped the floor with the Bulls in 95 given how easily they dispatched the Magic who beat the Bulls.
@@jrsmith1998 what does that have anything to do with what the guy said? This is why NBA fandom is unbearable. No one can appreciate players without trying to trash on them or shoot negativity. Beauty of it is, we will never know. All we know is what happened on paper. And Hakeem led Houston to two titles. That's facts and can't be changed.
@@FuShengAlex Boy. I just said the Rockets only shot was in 1995 to beat the bulls. Why are u acting as if that’s not what i said???
Had the rockets not gotten destroyed by the Jazz in 1996, we would have had the pleasure of watching the bulls destroy them.
And then the following year in 1997, the Sonics swept the bum ass rockets from the playoffs. Again lucky for them that they sucked.
@@jrsmith1998 I don't give a hoot what you said. The Rockets would've stomped the Bulls in the 86 Finals if they weren't too busy being under .500 doormats.
You Jordan sockpuppets dont wanna include the year the Bulls didnt make the Finals either.
I dont even know what you mean by only shot in 95. It ain't the Rockets faults either that the Bulls couldnt make the Finals when they made it.
I had the pleasure of watching Hakeem play in his prime. I saw this 7 footer burn point guards off the dribble with cross over moves that would make Tim Hardaway tip his hat. Hakeem was extremely talented. And so fun to watch.
No other player comes close
Yep, Payton was right, he handled the ball like a guard. His quick twitch was on par with many guards in the NBA, and that's "indomitable" from the center position.
Love this, Hakeem has always been my favorite center. Versatile and elite on both sides of the floor. His abiity to score and defend in multiple ways at the highest level is what sets him apart for me
*As a VERY proud Houstonian and a huge fan of all of our local team I can say that without a doubt, Hakeem is local legend a treasure.* He is rarely cited as anyone’s top five. Jordan is usually at the top of people’s list. Hakeem is on Jordan’s dream NBA lineup that he would want to play with. Let that sink in. Hakeem ain’t no joke. Dude was a dangerous savage and while he is humble off the court, he would take the wind and from your body and your fighting spirit right from your soul. We watched this happen game, after game, after game.
I wish there were a way to recreate the energy he put forth in that era. Game clips or even videos don’t do justice.
You would have to recreate entire seasons being watched by thousands of people and from different places at the same time.
Just gonna have to trust these OG’s on screen. Jordan, Shaq, Kobe, Lebron.. they all know what the hell is up with Hakeem.
Dude wasn’t human. Lol.
I always go back and forth between The Dream and Kareem in my all-time starting 5, but usually Olajuwon gets the edge for being such a dominant two way player.
Agreed i didn’t see Kareem when he was the best player in the nba.
What about Shaq or Wilt??? Hakeem was special but so was Kareem Shaq and Wilt
Bruh they played against each other for 5 years Kareem sky hook is the most dangerous weapon in the history of basketball
@@mixedpleasure4324 Shaq and Wilt can't shoot, Kareem got eliminated by every dominant center he's ever faced, case closed
@@keeptahoeblue7496 Kareem still got 6 rings and 6 mvps and a bunch of other achievement
My all time favorite center. Another one of the reasons I say I was so lucky to grow up in the 80s and 90s. Man that was the best time to grow up watching NBA basketball with those great players.
That is a fact man. We had so many characters and they all had cool nicknames too. I stopped watching NBA after Lebron wont it for Cleveland after that I lost interest. Its all about building super teams now. And another thing it seems all these players are homies with eachother I feel back in the 80s and 90s players had genuine hate for each other.
@@simuljustusetpeccator5547 Lol. For real! That's how it was. Most of them hated each other. If they didn't hate each other, they still wanted to beat the crap out of each other. There was no teaming up to win. It made the league so much funner than in recent years.
Hakeem the Dream is my absolute favorite center of all time!!!
Hakeem was the best center of the 90s. Hands down 👍🏿🏀
All-time!!!
Not even up for debate he was Godzilla ...king of the Monster
How much of the 90s did u watch because that's a hard statement to justify you basing this off Hakeem 2 best years 93-94 and 94-95 Patrick Ewing started the 90s off as the best center go look at his and Olajuwon records. People forget the Ewing we shall in that finals was a Ewing with 2 bad knees he wasn't the same like early on
@@theetruth8626 who said i'm bashing ? I didn't.
@@theetruth8626 he was never more skilled than Hakeem ...idc what was wrong with his knees he wasn't going to do anything with Hakeem because David Robinson had healthy knees and got embarrassed
I know the world keeps calling Jordan Jordan. I have always saw Akeem as the G . O. A. T. He was beast on both end of the court.
I'm so glad I was born in 1976. I was able to witness the careers of Bird and magic. His airness and the dream. Best basketball ever played. Loved John Starks as a kid too
46 this year also im with ya bro
The Dream was the best C I ever had the pleasure of watching...thankful that I got to see him play
I'm 43 and I never watched a better Center. The Dream was unbelivable.💯
The dream shake is one of the best moves ever on the block...
Facts🔥
Hakeem’ main weapon was his phenomenal footwork.
Centers always have a shorter prime so its hard to compare his legacy to someone like Michael, Kobe or Lebron, but Hakeem's game was complete, no weaknesses. One of the greatest, without question
I remember him when I was little kid the dude was amazing.
In HS our center used to try and do his dream shake. It was comical to watch. Hakeem was great. Wish the NBA still had real centers like him.
That's so true about Kobe, Kobe modeled his baseline game after dream.
Olajuwon is my pick for ALL TIME starting Center
C Dream
PF Duncan
SF Bird
SG MJ
PG Magic
that’s a bussin squad
with Duncan, Bird, MJ, and Magic... Do you really need a Center? lol
Perfect starting five
Shaq wilt Russell were better Hakeem
Wilt bird lebron MJ magic ..
I've said it before about Hakeem's greatness and I'll say it again:
The single greatest thing you can say about Hakeem is that literally no one criticizes Houston for taking him over Michael Jordan. That says all you need to know about how great he was.
If people don't criticize them, it's because the NJ nets divert attention away by their selection of Sam Bowie at #2
That is so clearly a bad choice that it distracts attention from Houston. The fact is, Houston should have taken the best player in the draft. They'd have drawn more fans, won more championships, and made much more $$,
They already had a 7 footer Ralph Sampson... they would have been a much more balanced team early on with the greatest guard of all time.
The powers that be wanted Mike in a large market tho. That's why he went #3 to Chicago. Of course you don't hear much criticism today about it...
@@AnHebrewChild The Nets didn't draft Bowie, the Blazers did. It wasn't the bad choice at the time you're making it out to be either. Centers ruled the game back then(aside from a few exceptions, so you can save yourself time bringing them uo because exceptions never disprove the rule). I'm also fairly certain that Hakeem was viewed as the best player in the draft as Jordan's college stats hid the kind of player he truly was. Portland also already had a SG in Clyde Drexler. I haven't said anything that isn't already well known, so it's kinda odd that you don't seem to know any of this. Also, markets didn't work the same back then as they do now. There was no cable and a lot of games were on tape delay, including the Finals. We're spoiled living in a time where we have access to a vast assortment of mediums, but back then it was so miniscule by comparison.
I can remember a few conversations in the breakroom at work over who the Rockets should draft between Hakeem and MJ. I was one that was for Hakeem, just because at the time I thought shooting guards were a dime a dozen.
@@biffmarcum5014 I'm pretty sure they kinda were. The championship formula back then began with having an elite center. Even as talented as Jordan was, the common thought was teams weren't gonna win titles built around a SG. Plus, I don't think a lot of people really expected Jordan to be as good as he was. They figured he would be, but he exceeded expectations.
Hakeem “the Dream” Olajuwon was one great center who played both offense and defense effectively. His pivot moves and hand fakes were very amazing. His crossover dribble is remarkable for a big man especially those days. It was fun watching him and the Rockets especially during their championship series.
The best nickname of the game. He would put everybody into thinking if they were living reality.
I remember Hekeam was destroying other centers. Hakeem was a great center he was one of the best. I rank him second best center of all time. I still think kareem abdul jabbar is the best center ever and one most intellectual NBA player of all time.
Young Kareem would easily kill a young Hakeem.
Hakeem developed his game as he got older. Kareem was dominant from day one.
@@sicnarf6971 young Hakeem isn't getting killed by anyone. It's possible he could get outplayed. But killed is ridiculous. Young Hakeem could put up 25-30ppg in a playoff series. Nobody in history is averaging MUCH more than what he put up those years.
@@FuShengAlex thank you for clearing that up...
@@sicnarf6971 young Kareem got eliminated by 6'9 Dave Cowens, so figure that one out
@@keeptahoeblue7496 Young Kareem lost in the Finals while still averaging more than anyone on those Celtics team and Robertson got 6 pts in the game 7. Also Havlicek was the FMVP for the Celtics not Cowens
Hakeem was my Goat period . I had the pleasure of watching his entire career when he was in Houston . He simply was amazing on both ends of the floor game in and game out . He gets overshadowed because he played in Hosuton .
Drafted over jordan and nobody complains. That alone tells you how good he is. He swept shaq with ease in the finals. Criminally underrated. Best center ever and arguably top 5 all time. Excellent video.
The most skilled center of all time. My all time favourite center of all time. My all time top 3 favourite player of all time alongside with MJ and Magic.
I grew up watching his college career and NBA career. I’m from Houston Texas so of course he is my #1 and MJ is my #2
👍
Great video. Dream was my favorite center of all-time.
Prime Hakeem wouldve shut Lebron James down. Any version of him
LeBron James too little for dream
Ridiculous. Olajuwon is my favorite player ever but LBJ plays a totally different role to him and is imho the greatest SF ever and wouldn't even be matched with him. LBJ would get his points
@@FuShengAlex nah, Lebron is lacking the midrange game to be able to consistently score against prime Olajuwon, 88'-95'! The only reason Jordan could keep it competitive against prime Olajuwon was because of his nearly 50% FG from midrange and posting up on the shorter rockets guards. Lebron isn't quick enough to beat Olajuwon to the spot all night, I agree, Olajuwon holds Lebron to below his season averaged across the board
@@FuShengAlex Larry Bird is still the greatest SF ever
@@loulou7194 Bird is definitely in the conversation.. No question ..
Michael Jordan puts you in his top five with James Worthy and Magic and Scottie pippen f then you know your problem the dream Hakeem olajuwon
Hakeem was ahead of his time and finally got enough help. No center had a chance against him. He could dominate on both ends much like mj. He could change the game all by himself. My favorite center all time
Hands down most complete centre of all time
Thank you brother for bringing us basketball junkies great content.
Much respect to shack for giving the dream his dues. Sign of another great player
Hakeem Outplayed the following players in their primes: Patrick Ewing, David Robinson & Shaquille O'neal.
In terms of SKILL, He is top 3 center of all Time.
He's easily #1.
@@pickzkickz That is really hard to say that when you've got Chamberlain, Jabbar and Bill Russell. Really hard to pick when guys are from other eras. Oh... don't forget Yao.
Don't forget he also dusted Kareem and the defending champ Showtime Lakers at age 23, and Kareem got eliminated by every dominant center he's ever played in the playoffs
@@jonlanier_ lmao Yao?!? So basically we're just not being serious then
Hakeem only win cause Sam cassell
Beast a freaking machine Phi Slama Jama was the start of a lot of fun shit! The Dream! Legend!20 + years of Sports legendary memories!
Thanks for posting dream he my number one too
best player ever
Besides being the best big ever he is also a humble and role model off the court.
I agree Hakeem is the 🐐 of Centers
Great video
Hakeem the Dream!🏀🏀
Hakeem(Akeem) is my best center of ALL TIME !!!
Hakeem would be my first pick of ANY center that ever played. He could dominate games effortlessly in the biggest moments. The GOAT of centers!
Hakeem might be the best player ever
Some of my earliest sports memories involve the Dream leading the Rockets to those championships. Everybody in Houston had his jersey back then. What a time.
Best NBA Content.. the mantis !!
Phi Slama Jama The Dream one of the greatest centers of all times.
Best B-Ball channel on CZcams!!!🎉
Nowitzki and Hakeem are totally different players.....
Olajuwon is better in both types
If you were able to watch the Dream in his prime, it was art. Complete package, One player you could say didn't really have a weakness in his game. My first ever NBA jersey was #34 The Dream.
So crazy, been watching mr david since like 3 k subs. Good job. Also, you could grow sucha kickass beard I bet
It's the same argument between Russell and Chamberlain who played each other. I agree about Hakeem. It was awesome watching the Twin Towers during their heyday.
Totally agree with you sean greatest center of all time for me too
He is my all.time center
Hakeem had two things going for him, he was extremely agile and had a very high basketball IQ. He is a player that can carry a whole team on his shoulder and he did so regularly.
"Hakeem was treating him (Ewing) like a mop. He was moping the floor up. Ain't even let him dry, he moping him up again"
Oakley made me wheeze bro lol!
The Greatest Big Man !!! The Dream!
The greatest without a doubt, he had it all
Man I miss them days, I grew up in Houston Texas and Hakeem Olajuwon was the player, man Houston was Ablaze with Hakeem Olajuwon
The body of a center with the athleticism of a guard
Im very proud of mr.Hakeem making mark on the Nba
Hakeem was my #1 go to after MJ retired for the 1st time 😆 the dude was just as exciting to watch as The GOAT himself.
Hakeem is the 🐐
Hakeem is the goat 🐐
I’m telling you, as a Magic fan in the 90s, the Magic could have really challenged the Bulls in the late 90s for several Championships, but they were never the same after they lost that Finals were Hakeem destroyed them. They didn’t have the same chemistry. Just like the ‘93 Suns were never the same after Jordan destroyed them in the Finals, but at least they got 2 games. My Magic got swept 😭
The greatest center to ever play
Hakeem the best of all time
Goat of centers
Hakeem is the best center that ever played in the NBA..sent a lot of superstars away butthurt..💪💪
Goat center period
Stop it WILT CHAMBERLAIN is the goat of all goat learn basketball before you make silly comments
@@theetruth8626 your name need to be the lie ...you probably didn't even see chamberlain but I do know he played against trash ass players so stop it
Olajuwon is really a good player . Like him when his still playing basketball.
I have Hakeem as my #1 center of all time as well
Hakeem was one the most complete centers to ever play. He could do it all.
Hakeem is the #1 Big man in league history.
Great analysis. Drop the mic...'Nuff said.
Watching what he did to David Robinson is still insane. Nobody, past or present, does it like Hakeem. The way he spun and changed directions in a milisecond makes him the type of guy that would dominate in any era. Today's era would get dominated even more so. The only advantage any player had over Hakeem was their size and strength but the rule changes and the Hakeem effect on the center position changed it from being a powerhose spot to more of a finesse position and without guys bodying him up, nobody stands a chance. Mark Eaton, Manute Bol, and Shaq were his most difficult rivalries when he was on offense. Nobody else bothered him a bit, even the likes of Motombo or Ewing, Robinson, or Mourning.
Bout time someone made a video bout him like this
Hakkeem the best center ever.
Best center ever..!!!!
As a Young Man growing up for me he was the greatest I had ever seen nobody moved nobody defended nobody was as smooth as him he was something very special
kareem and hakeem! the two best!
Hakeem was the greatest I ever saw
Hakeem was my favorite player growing up. When people where rooting for Jordan I was trading his cards for Olajuwon cards in school.
How good was Hakeem is simple
Hakeem is the Greatest skill center basketball player ever
Aside from the Phenomenal skill-set - what about the Character of the man? = "Hakeem" All Class.
My favorite 5
Loved the Dream
The dream shake was awesome
If I had to make a all time greats starting 5 , "The Dream" would definitely be on it .
Facts. The Dream is 🔥
Hakeem playing soccer while growing up made the difference... speed, endurance, and agility.
Great way to put it- The total package
I can honestly say that Hakeem Olujawon was the best center I ever saw play. Granted, I never saw Bill Russell or Wilt Chamberlain play on a consistent basis. But, Hakeem has to be the most undervalued player ever, probably because of his quiet nature.