i started really becoming obsessed and a big fan of the rockets right around when they lost to the lakers in 2002 i think. I havnt seen every former player and i was wondering what people thought. was their a rocket who was born with more perfect gifts to play basketball than a healthy tracy mcgrady. i was never trying to compare the two or say tmac is more talented. i dont lie to myself and everyone and say i know and have witnessed everything about the dream. i understand his stature and greatness but the people who are getting all butthurt are doing so for no reason.
Here you go, budeee. <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kKLbC4esWS8?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kKLbC4esWS8?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>
Yes. You really need to read about Olajuwon. You know how occasionally there will be a guy that enters the NBA and everybody talks about how they're raw because they just started playing the game when they were 17 or so? So did Hakeem. And yet he was a 20ppg + scorer and one of the best defensive players around the moment he entered the league. Was he faster than T-Mac? How about you watch the footage of him catching up with Kevin Johnson (a lighting fast point guard) on a break away to block his shot. Was he quicker? He is still in the top 10 all-time in steals. Could he jump as high or higher? There is a reason he is the all-time leader in blocked shots. He was not one of those 7'3"+ shot blockers. He was listed at 7 feet tall but some reports say he was as short as 6'9 or 6'10. Read about him. Watch footage. He was truly a freak of an athlete. I understand why you can't comprehend it. You've grown up with guys like Tim Duncan and Yao Ming and maybe Shaq as the dominant big men and you don't understand how a big man could be as athletic or more than a guard. But he was. There was literally nothing he couldn't do.
i agree with francis. but even though swift and white were amazing leapers, mcgrady had more fluidity and body control. and by the way james white is the craziest dunker ive ever seen! the guy can pretty much touch the top of the backboard
Ok in all seriousness... Put it this way..... Who would you start a team with? Who is the only Center in NBA HISTORY to be in the top 10 in STEALS out of all NBA players in a given year.. Who didn't start playing basketball till he STARTED College.. Who hasn't even touched a Basketball till probably College.. As the Great Jordan say's "Out of all the Centers in History even Mike would choose Hakeem as his 5" Hakeem by far was the most naturally talented person in Rockets History..... If you saw his skills Hakeem had it all.. Take away T-macs hops / athletic ability and what do you have... Nothing.. Take away Dreams freakish hops and what do you have? The dream shake, twist and turns in the paint, etc...
Ok, let's remove Dream from this debate. And since you're a newage Rockets fan here's a little history for you on another ex- Rockets who could out run and out jump Tracy.
You're conveniently leaving out that Hakeem didn't even start playing basketball until damn near the age T-Mac was drafted (which was 18, not 19). T-Mac had played basketball his entire life. Yes, Dream worked hard. But it was his other worldly talent that allowed him to evolve from someone who had never played basketball to one of the greatest basketball players alive in just a few short years.
Dude, the Dream could play futbol better than mac could play any other sport. And we all know hakeem had a hand up in the hoops department. Long live clutch city!
i respect all of this and i agree with your second part. i did grow up in the generation of different guys but i think the reasons you put in the first part are very very very bad. first off just cause he caught up to and blocked a fast point guards shot dont mean he's faster, you cant run your fastest when trying to lay the ball in, u need a rthym at the end and u sometimes might have a bad angle which gives the trailing defender an advantage. That single play shows how athletic he is but it does not prove hes faster than people. also being quick doesnt result in steals and even a 10 year old that plays on city leagues know this. its about timing and understanding defense and quickness with your hands. Also jumping does not equal blocks. it takes timing , the defensive intelligence as well as the athleticism. all your statements prove how SKILLED he is as well as athletic, it doesnt prove he's more athletic than mcgrady, but i understand where your coming from
so I would say AB is the most naturally gifted. He is definitely a LOT faster than tmac, and he got a damn high verticle too. also wat about chase, unbelievable verticle. you are not seriously comparing the speed of a center to a sg/sf are you? you are right, tmac is faster. in fact, i would say he have a much higher verticle than hakeem. the problem is hakeem combinition of speed, length, strength, coordination and jumping ability that puts him a head of everyone else. that is what makes him one of the most talented players ever. look at shaq, are you saying he is less talented than say vince carter? shaqs size along with is speed sets him apart. yes shaq is slower and can't jump as high, but his size and coordination can not be taught.
Wasn't trying to be condesending. Sorry if it came out that way. But really read the article especially the bold parts. Just trying to help you see beyond your window of NBA time frame.
