NBA Legends On How Good Hakeem Olajuwon Was

Surprised he didn’t include Dr J’s interview about what single player would you start with as your franchise player

 

i mean... he was aite. he can't dance.

 

What is this nonsense? You aren't @tinman ! Only he can live in both the present and the 1990s.

 

The Dream had cat like quickness that was unseen at the time in a big man.

His series verse the Spurs was Dream telling everyone that he could do anything to anybody anytime.

He evolved each season as a player and as a man.

Legend

 

[Hakeem voice] - "UNBEATABLE!"

 

His pogo stick jumping ability was amazing too.

 

The Wilt Chamberlain Archive on Youtube is the best video archive out there of video of Wilt and other legends of his time. Great resource to check out for context given all these Harden-Wilt comparisons of the past couple years.

And I wonder if we shouldn't start a Hakeem Olajuwon Archive. There are clips scattered here and there around Youtube but no one place to find them all. Nor is there a place that puts together videos using those clips to clearly demonstrate the unique characteristics of a player's game. The Wilt Archive does an excellent job of that.

Down here, we all know Hakeem is a legend among legends, but few outside here do. In fact, many of us here don't even fully comprehend the greatness. I was 10 when we won the first championship. I knew I was watching someone special, but I still couldn't appreciate it then like I'd be able to now. Hakeem, much like Wilt, is kind of a mysterious figure in the history of the NBA despite having done many things that will never be replicated while having universally-known NBA greats giving him the highest praise possible.

 

2 Championship banners at Toyota Center
2 championship trophies in some old bastards house in Florida
A church emerged where we he played
A basketball board that is superior to all was created because he did what he did

 

Good timing for this thread. I just learned this morning that Hakeem is buying my friend's house, just a few doors down from my childhood home in Sugar Land. My buddy sent me a pic of him and Dream standing on the driveway where we used to shoot hoops.

 

I bet they are all 99’ers @tinman

 

Man, I just feel fortunate enough that I was able to watch him play in the Summit. Definitely the best player I ever got to see play in person. Also, and I'll say it again, no one questions Houston taking Hakeem over Jordan. The joke was Portland's pick and then doing it again and passing on Durant... If I was a fan of that franchise..... Ouch.

 

Good find. I appreciate you sharing. I really enjoyed it.

 

The real pioneer of the one-legged fadeaway

 

The Mandalorian is going to address baby Olajuwon this week.

 

It would hella fun to be that tall, athletic, and skilled to play in one single nba game. Hella fun

 

I'm not sure what my NBA fandom would have turned out like had I not started as an 8 year old watching him at the Hof...going from a freakishly athletic raw kid to a decade later being one of the most polished offensive players in history. He was just a joy to grow up with, even in the few downish years b/t 86 and 92 he was must watch basketball.

Easily my all time favorite Houston athlete.

Meh, don't know what the big deal is, all those moves are pretty easy when you're 12 and in your driveway going 3/4 speed with nobody guarding you.

 

No other player in history has influenced a superior fan to create a site for superior fans