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Can Older Folks Educate Us On The Time Hakeem Demanded a Trade?

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by BleedRocketsRed, Dec 18, 2020.

  1. aelliott

    aelliott Contributing Member

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    BTW just to clarify, Olajuwon rededicated himself to Islam in the '88-89 season. Well before all of this happened.
     
  2. Clutch City1993

    Clutch City1993 Bury Me In The H
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    He is the closest Rocket to ever come close to that legacy. Hakeem didnt have to worry about the KD Warriors.
     
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  3. Sweet Lou 4 2

    Sweet Lou 4 2 Contributing Member
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    The big difference is that Hakeem seemed more open minded and rational. Harden just wants out
     
  4. Patience

    Patience Contributing Member

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    Good clarification, thanks. I started following the team around 92, and I remember an SI article at the time that made it seem like it had just happened the year before.
     
  5. D-rock

    D-rock Member

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    I don't think remember young Hakeem (still Akeem then) as well as you thinl you do.

    He was an emotional player and easily triggered.
     
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  6. aelliott

    aelliott Contributing Member

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    I disagree. #1 Hakeem was all about the money. He viewed it as a sign of respect. #2 Once Steve Patterson accused him of faking an injury to gain leverage in contract negotiations, Olajuwon took that as a personal insult. He was done with the Rockets and Patterson.

    In his final year in Houston, Olajuwon was seeking a bigger deal than Houston wanted to pay. Hakeem got frustrated and requested to be released. Of course the Rockets refused. Then in the offseason he forced a trade to Toronto because they would pay his asking price.

    Hakeem didn't play around when it came to getting paid.
     
  7. aelliott

    aelliott Contributing Member

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    Here's a blurb from the '92 incident. It got way uglier and much more public that the current Harden situation.

    Olajuwon said he was offended by Patterson's accusations.

    "He has attacked my reputation, my integrity," Olajuwon told The Houston Post. "Tell Steve he's stupid, I'll sue them for everything they've got."

    Patterson said Olajuwon made a demand last Monday that his contract be renegotiated and when the demand was rejected, "the last thing he said was `You've got to do what you've got to do and I've got to do what I've got to do.' "

    Patterson said part of Olajuwon's last contract agreement was that he not ask again for renegotiation.

    "We've renegotiated three times and the last time we signed a deal, he promised he'd never come back (to renegotiate again)," Patterson said. "I think the entire organization is disappointed in Hakeem . . . the players, the staff and management."

    "Unless I'm 100 percent ready, I won't play," Olajuwon said. "I'm not going to jeopardize my career for just a couple of games."

    https://www.deseret.com/1992/3/23/18974590/hakeem-is-steamed-over-dealings-with-rockets-br


    Does "Tell Steve he's stupid, I'll sue them for everything they've got" sound rational and open minded? Hakeem was done with the Rockets at that point.
     
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  8. rimrocker

    rimrocker Contributing Member

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    I remember reading about it in the Post. I was resigned to the notion that the Rockets would trade Olajuwon for garbage because trading superstars for chumps is what Houston franchises did back then. I kind of wanted it to happen for Dream's sake because then the world could see exactly who he was and he might be in a better position to win a title. Still, I was happy when things seemed to mellow out and then ecstatic during the two championship runs. [​IMG]
     
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  9. Sweet Lou 4 2

    Sweet Lou 4 2 Contributing Member
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    The issue wasn't the money as to why Hakeem forced the trade to Toronto, it was the length of the contract and Hakeem feeling he had more years left than the 2 years the Rockets were offering.

    With Thomas, it was about respect, and once Thomas showed him respect, Olajuwon stayed. Being accused of faking an injury is a serious thing. Just ask Leonard

    With Harden its the belief Houston can't win a championship. I am not sure anything can change that.
     
  10. Sweet Lou 4 2

    Sweet Lou 4 2 Contributing Member
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    He was emotional but he was still rational. He was accused of faking an injury, asking to be traded in response to that is both emotional and rational. The FO had to be the one to fix the relationship and it did.
     
  11. D-rock

    D-rock Member

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    Calling the owner a coward is far from rational.
     
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  12. DatRocketFan

    DatRocketFan Member

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    There's two side to the Harden story. To a fan point of view it just seem harden all of a sudden gave up on the city. The front office and owner could be selling us a load of bullsht about wanting to compete and is doing everything in their power to remain competitive but is pivoting towards a rebuild bc harden force their hand, something they are doing regardless


    Hell they are actively throwing out hit pieces on Harden, does that seem like a franchise being open minded and compromising?

    Offering James a contact extension means nothing if u don't actually try to plan to build a team around him to compete. Idk. Harden is giving up on our city, but I don't think tilman really truly wanted harden, gave up on him quite quick.
     
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  13. HardenVolumeOne

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    damn
     
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  14. Sweet Lou 4 2

    Sweet Lou 4 2 Contributing Member
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    This doesn't make any sense. Why would the FO put out hit pieces on Harden??? That's stupid, lower his trade value????
     
  15. Sweet Lou 4 2

    Sweet Lou 4 2 Contributing Member
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    When you are accused of faking an injury, it's rational to be upset o_O
     
  16. DatRocketFan

    DatRocketFan Member

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    Petty people do dumb sht. Tilman to me is a petty one.

    Like dumber things have happen with petty people.

    Exhibit a: BoB and Hopkins

    Aside from a contact extension, I don't see the fo even trying to salvage their relationship with Harden. The hit pieces on Harden? They didn't say a word to refute it
     
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  17. Sweet Lou 4 2

    Sweet Lou 4 2 Contributing Member
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    What hit piece?
     
  18. Rockets4lf

    Rockets4lf Member

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    Hakeem was abolute trash when he demanded a trade...we didn't even care back then.
     
  19. D-rock

    D-rock Member

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    So why is Hakeem's behavior rational and Harden's isnt?

    Harden has said nothing personally insulted either ownership or FO, nothing that he would have to walk back or apologize for.

    Your stance is based purely on your own subjective feelings. You dislike Harden and revere Hakeem.

    Your position is less rational than either Harden's or Hakeem's.
     
  20. Astrodome

    Astrodome Member
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    I actually broke bread with Hakeem many times back then. He nicknamed me Dome Dome and I actually broke stories to the public access TV station which in turn sold them to the big guns, KPRC and KHOU. The funniest story was when Dream was fasting for ramadan and Sleepy Floyd and I got him so high that the munchies caused him to eat 30 soft tacos from del taco near Willowridge HS. I was good friends with Michael Cage back then so when the fight happened Dream kind of cut me out so I was out of the loop by the time his trade request went public. Fun fact, Hakeem and Cage shared the same hair dresser for years. Anyways, it is always nice to reminisce. Go Rockets!
     
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