People who rank Bill Russell ahead of Olajuwon....

69' finals is considered one of the great upsets in NBA history. Celtics were just 4th seed on the East and win it all against Lakers with Wilt and West who were 20 point favorite.

 

You already said that. What does it even mean? How are you a 20 point favorite for a series? Are you talking about game 7?

I mentioned chamberlain choked. He couldn't win with Jerry west getting MVP, and was benched in the final minutes of game 7. Russell's main rival was benched in the final minutes of game 7 of the finals! I'm done.

 

Russell won two ships at that power house usf.

 

Yes because a championship is an individual accomplishment not a teams.

 

Relative to competition, Russell was the more impactful player: he was the better defender, better rebounder (even using rebound rate), and a fine offensive player (again, all relative to competition). We know his team's were more successful, but even as an individual he was more successful evidenced by his five MVPs to Olajuwon's two and his highest paid player in the league status - people always forget to mention his individual success -.

I don't think it's fair to compare them straightup because the game progressed. The game Olajuwon developed in had already learned from guys like Russell and Wilt and evolved because of them, too. So, yes, Olajuwon is the more talented player in a straightup comparison just like a 1994 Camaro is better than a 1964 Camaro.

Still, I think if you were to create a player with the same relative to competition attributes as Russell, ie. a player with the same combination of elite size, athleticism, IQ, and personality that leads to epic defense and rebounding, good offense, and great team chemistry and leadership, and surround him with proper teammates (most of Russell's Hall of Fame teammates were NOT Hall of Fame talents) you would create the most successful team of the era because the basics of the game really haven't changed: the teams that best defend, rebound, and make the most plays in the clutch win championships. Russell's teams did that even when they were not the most talented team and there hasn't been a player like him since - the closest was probably Bill Walton -.

 

Olajuwon won 1 MVP, Bro.

 

I know, I put it in italics because it should have been two.

 

I know this is a Rockets forum but please. Also, a lot of good teams and players could become champions...if not for someone named Michael Jordan.

 

What good teams? Suns with Barkley? Who else relevant was on that Suns team? Portland with Drexler? Drexler was not enough. Knicks were 2nd best defensive team, but always had terrible offense.

 

I never said that was the only reason he was great. (he also had 5 MVPs) but how can anyone just brush off 11 championships?

That's a ridiculous amount. In their respective time periods, MJ, Hakeem, KAJ, Magic, Bird, Shaq, Kobe, even when including journeymen like Robert Horry. 11 is still a lot and it wasn't like they just called Russell in at the last 2 minutes of a game to hit a few 3 pointers.

 

Any thread that compares Olajuwon to any NBA player in a Houston blog is suicide. Olajuwon is a basketball god in Houston and no player in the history or the NBA will ever come close to the great Hakeem. Well, that is only in Houston, of course.

 

Just for the record:

Hakeem OLAJUWON

JUWAN Howard

 

Russel supporting casts changed over the 13 years he won 11 championships. Him leading them to all.

 

Are you a ****ing troll or are you just completely moronic? Seriously ever post I read by you is an eye roller.. it's amazing just how moronic people can be.. you're so moronic that's why I feel like you're really just trolling as a joke.

 

Facts.

 

Yeah MJ scoring over 30ppg with 50%fg has nothing to do with it!

It's funny you use the year MJ retired to prove your point.. but wait, they didn't win the championship

 

I agree.

 

Pretty much ... Olajuwon is almost unquestionable the greatest basketball player in NBA history on Clutch fans. In most other arenas, he's fifth or sixth on a good day, while he's a little lower on other days, as low the mid teens.

Is he better than Russell? In some areas, yes. Other areas, definitely not. I do think Olajuwon was more talented, because of the offensive games, yet it's still not silly to believe Russell was a better player.You have to give Russell some credit for being an outstanding player in a more primitive era of basketball. His basketball IQ was off the charts and even in today's game for his size he still be a fairly good athlete. Moreover, even comparing him to active centers and power forwards, can you name one right now who could run a team's offense, pass as well as Russell, and bring the same kind of intensity and knowledge on defense.


Like Olajuwon, he had a unique skill set was not one-dimensional player, like most modern big men are. If you seen him (or Chamberlain) throw those outlet passes effortlessly or set up teammates for easy baskets around the post and sometimes on the perimeter. It's funny how every talks about how great Dwight Howard is and doesn't possess half of the skills that Russell or Chamberlain had.

 

Of course you agree because you're a LeBron nut hugging troll..

 

He never dominated Wilt, in fact the complete opposite.

Imagine that western conference series with Hakeem vs Robinson, make Hakeem Wilt and Russell is David, now put 7 hall of famers with Robinson, maybe 1 and some scrubs with Hakeem and tell me who wins that series...