Hakeem "Arguably" a top echelon center of all time?

Personally I will never put Shaq ahead of Hakeem.

I'm sorry but you don't prove you're better than someone else by getting swept by them in the Finals, especially when you have homecourt advantage.

 

What a joke. "Arguable"? No argument at all. If there was a draft today, with both a young Shaq and a young Hakeem, I'd take Hakeem without even blinking.

 

That's odd, a Houston Rocket not getting respect? Now that's a new development.

 

If Hakeen spoke perfect English and ran his mouth more in the press, he would have gained more notoriety and would certainly be placed in the top 4.

If you look at on-court accomplishments, he should certainly be considered one of the best.

 

Remember that this is a *writer's* opinion. The *players* state that without a doubt Dream in in that top tier. I think I'll listen to them over a "sports journalist", which is just another tern for a fan who got lucky and gets paid to write what the rest of us write for free.

 

He comes from a distant land we know nothing about,so let's just mention the great centers that are "born in the USA". Let's not acknowledge that foreign-born centers like Hakeem and Duncan even exist! Oh, and foreign-born players are booooring, people can't connect with them, so that's another reason not to like em

Anyways, it's an opinion column more or less, it's not like everyone agrees on who arethe greatest players ever.

Hakeem enshrined his place as one of the top 5 big men to ever play, and easily the most skilled big man in history of the league, along with Kareem.

I am soooooo glad that "boring" Duncan is kicking ass in the league, can't wait for "stick figure" Yao Ming to do the same, so the haters would keep on hatin'

 

hakeem quadruple double says it all. the best all around center ever

 

The only contention I have with the remark is that they said he might belong in the top echelon. Hakeem certainly is top echelon, though he probably should go down as 5th best center and 5th best big man.

Top 3 are probably Wilt, Kareem, and Russell though the order is very difficult to tease through. Shaq and Hakeem are CLEARLY the next two and CLEARLY top echelon, though I think Shaq probably has a slightly stronger case for #4 it is pretty close.

The next group is seriously lower, I guess Moses, Walton and maybe Robinson. Robinson has the distinction of the only of the top 8 to 10 centers to NEVER have lead his team to a championship.

 

If all of the above mentioned centers were 21 and eligible for the same draft, I 'd in order pick

Kareem (Lew if you are AR)
Wilt
Shaq
Dream
Duncan
Moses
Walton
Robinson
Ewing
Russell
Mikan

 

This was actually Frank DeFord's wedenesday morning NPR commentary piece that he usually does as "the Sports Curmudgeon", I wouldn't really take it too seriously as he doesn't follow the NBA that closely too much anymore I don't think. I'm sure if Hakeem had his hey day 2 years ago instead of 10 he'd have said him and not Shaq - either way he and Shaq and the other three are in the top 5 indisputably and a plane above everybody else.

 

Duncan's not a center. But if you include him, I would draft Kareem, Russell, Duncan, Dream, Wilt, Shaq, Moses, Walton, DRob, Mikan, Ewing.

If you leave out Duncan, since he is a PF, then my top 5 are Kareem, Russell, Dream followed closely by Wilt and Shaq. Russell won too many games playing against Wilt for him not to be considered. Russell was the greatest defensive player ever, and had the ability to make his teammates better. Wilt never did that. Shaq dominates because the officials do not call the offensive foul on him. Kareem and Dream, nuff said.

 

I wonder how many titles hakeem would have won with Shaq's supporting cast and in an era where there is NO other legitimate centers. Hakeem outplayed every big man in his era - DRob, barkeley, Ewing, Mourning, Dikembe, and even a young Shaq.

 

boooooo.

i'm going to pretend i never read this sorry excuse for sports journalism

 

I have to disagree. I downloaded the video of Hakeem someone posted here a couple of weeks back. I watch his career for 10 mins. Yes I saw Kareem play and Russell. Hakeem was a different center then standard center of the past. He was a guard in a center's body. There would be no way in 94 and 95 any center of the past that could of stopped him. And when Hakeem was young he could block just about anything that came inside. You might think I am prejudice. I don't think so. I remember seeing Moses Malone play in his prime he was a stud. But even at his best he could never touch Hakeem greatness. To say he might be a top 5. No I disagree. I say he was number 1. Show me another center that could move the same way and still play defense against some strong centers in the league. Hakeem showed the world waht he could do against a large center in Shak. The only center close to him is Russell. Russell moved ever well for a big man. Again to say he is 5th or maybe in the top 5 what a joke.

 

What a joke that article is! Shaq should never be ahead of Hakeem.

I don't know much about Mikan. I do know the best centers of all time should be: Bill Russell, Jabbar, Chamberlain, Olajuwan. That's it. Maybe someday Yao Ming or Shaq.

Shaq can't do half of the stuff Dream did.

Major difference watch Shaq play and watch the dream play.

It's a treat watching Dream played.

It's a ugly sigh watching Shaq played.

 

Wilt, Bill, Kareem, Shaq, and Hakeem. Why put Hakeem, the student, ahead of Moses, the teacher? 1995 Western Conference Finals. Case closed.

 

Russell was an elite player, but put Wilt on the Celts instead of Russell and Russell would rank with the Artis Gilmores (a very good players btw whom I forgot to add to my list).

 

Amen! thats been my argument ever since he retired.