If you just can't get enough of it: Olajuwon out to prove he can still play Associated Press TORONTO -- Hakeem Olajuwon, in Toronto for the first time since joining the Raptors, is happy to have a fresh start after spending 17 years with the Houston Rockets. "When you've been in a place so long they can take you for granted," Olajuwon said Tuesday. The Rockets completed a sign-and-trade agreement Thursday, sending Olajuwon to the Raptors for first- and second-round draft picks. Olajuwon turned down Houston's final offer of $13 million for three years. Toronto offered him $17 million for three years. DREAM IN PICTURES Photo gallery: A look back at Olajuwon's career in Houston. "The ideal situation would have been to finish in Houston, but I think this team gives me a whole new enthusiasm," Olajuwon said. "I think I have a better role to play here than in Houston." Olajuwon's relationship became so strained with the Rockets at one point last season that he asked to be released. The 38-year-old played in 58 games, averaging 11.9 points and 7.4 rebounds, while shooting 49.8 percent. A blood clot in Olajuwon's leg threatened his career last season, but medication alleviated the problem. Olajuwon believes he can play a big role with the Raptors. "There's a lot opportunity to prove a lot of people wrong," Olajuwon said. "To educate people who base skills on age, instead of physical fitness. If you're healthy, and you train, you can do whatever you want to do. The game is easy." Employees of Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment, the company that owns the Raptors, greeted Olajuwon during a news conference at the Air Canada Centre. Vince Carter, who recently signed a long-term deal with Toronto, made a surprise appearance midway through the news conference. "Vince is a great recruiter," Olajuwon said after embracing Carter. "My role is to make the game much easier for him. I'd like to make it easier for him to dunk on people." Carter thinks Olajuwon has something to prove. "He wanted another chance to show what he can do, and here's a chance," Carter said. "His name alone is going to help us. He's going to draw double teams. He's going create more open shots, and that's going to give me more leeway to get to the basket." In his 17 seasons with the Rockets, Olajuwon averaged 22.5 points and 11.4 rebounds. He is the NBA's career leader in blocked shots and is a 14-time All-Star. He was named as one of the NBA's 50 greatest players and was on the 1996 gold medal-winning Olympic basketball team that was coached by Toronto coach Lenny Wilkens. Olajuwon said Wilkens will decide how much he'll play. "I can't go into the game deciding I'd like to play 25 minutes," Olajuwon said. "I have to train myself to do whatever he needs to win the game." The addition of Olajuwon and the re-signings of Antonio Davis, Alvin Williams, Jerome Williams and Carter have made Toronto one of the favorites to win the Eastern Conference. The presence of Olajuwon will allow Davis to play his natural position, power forward, instead of center. "I'm a legitimate big man that will make it easy for Antonio Davis to play his natural position," Olajuwon said. "I can play a big role in getting this team to the next level." The Raptors advanced to the seventh game of the second round in the playoffs last season before being eliminated by Philadelphia. Link
Man Hakeem is in denial. Age is a factor, all you need to do is look at his stats. And the guy can train all he wants, but it hasnt' helped him. He could barely breathe in the 4th quarter, he can't jump anymore, and he's injury prone. Now he will be a good rebounder, decent shot-blocker, and ok scorer for Toronto, but age is a factor. There's a reason he is constantly injured, can barely dunk or jump and stop people, and is ready to pass out after 25 minutes of action.
Is it not ironic that Hakeem is playing for the coach who benched him during the olympics ? Why ? Were we actually gonna lose the game when Dream was in ? Lenny just had a thing for Shaq and I will never forgive him for that. Not to mention that Dream had the best game against the college all-stars that year.
I know I sound bitter, but I can't believe this guy has the nerve to say these things. What happened to his planned retirement? Didn't he want to do that a couple of years ago? God, not only is he an egomaniac but he's definitely in denial. Flutie, RaptorsDynasty, and all you other Raptors fans: enjoy it now because by the end of the season, you're going to see what we have been seeing for the last couple of seasons.
"When you've been in a place so long they can take you for granted" Huh?!? Dream, what did you just say?
Does Carter understand that means that you have to pass the ball to Hakeem to hope for a double team and then hope he passes it back out. If not he will learn when the media announces that Hakeem is not happy with his roll on the team and wants a trade. Train?? Except for the off season when he had his knee operation when did he ever train? Remember he reports to play himself into shape[worked better 10-15 years ago]. Remember he comes off the IR to play himself into shape. Little things that got overlooked by Rudy and Rocket fans, things may be a little different in Toronto. This gets to the only reason I hated for him to leave, by the end of this season the entire basketball community will know what we as Rocket fans knew from the last four years. But he made the choice, because we had him spoiled. But now that he has Wilkens as his coach he should be happy, of all the things he said the one that bothered me the most was when he said, last year, that he wanted to play for a coach that understood and knew how to play big men. That had to hurt Rudy, and the man had done everything he could not to hurt Hakeems feelings, when he really didn't fit in.
Train?? Except for the off season when he had his knee operation when did he ever train? Remember he reports to play himself into shape[worked better 10-15 years ago]. Remember he comes off the IR to play himself into shape. Little things that got overlooked by Rudy and Rocket fans, things may be a little different in Toronto. This gets to the only reason I hated for him to leave, by the end of this season the entire basketball community will know what we as Rocket fans knew from the last four years. But he made the choice, because we had him spoiled. It has been reported that, unlike in years past, and due mostly to the new-found enthusiasm Hakeem has mentioned, he is already working out 3-5 hours/day. I have no link, but it has been reported about 3 different places, at least one of which was not a Toronto source...
"God, not only is he an egomaniac but he's definitely in denial. Flutie, RaptorsDynasty, and all you other Raptors fans: enjoy it now because by the end of the season, you're going to see what we have been seeing for the last couple of seasons." -This coming from a person stupid enough to believe that Hakeem was 37 years old when he averaged 33 points a game in the 95 NBA playoffs. Your credibility is completely shot by this r****ded belief. -I'll take Hakeem in a wheelchair over an utter disgrace to the sport of basketball like Kelvin Cato or a slow footed, talentless BUST like Jason Collier, who are going to be the Rockets options at Center next year. -And as for Hakeem having an ego, all Superstars have Egos and big ones at that. You are naive if you think otherwise. Mediocre Taylor has a pretty damn big ego himself. This is a guy who is the worst rebounding PF in the NBA and had the gall to ask for the MAX last year from teams. What a humble guy, huh Manny?
I don't want to sound rude or anything, but.....isn't it about time we start posting messages about Hakeem on the NBA Dish Board????
RaptorsDynasty: Obviously, you aren't the sharpest knife in the drawer. If you look at my signature and the thread "The Truth About Olajuwon's age" then you will see where this 43 year old stuff is coming from. Yes, it's tongue-in-cheek. No, I don't know for sure if he's really 38 or 39 or whatever. However, if he is really 43 then it would explain a lot. Besides, other than mentioning that in my signature, I didn't mention it anywhere else in this thread. However, when you are dealing with 8 year olds like yourself then I guess you can't be facetious after all (don't ask me to explain to you the word, "facetious" -- look it up in a dictionary, Junior). I won't argue with you about the ego thing, but you don't get it. Olajuwon paints this picture that he is so humble and classy when in reality he's nothing more than a little baby who needs constant catering to. BTW -- Mo Taylor is going to shut you and all his other critics up this year as he will have his best season yet.
Stop being so friggin bitter. Hakeem's my all-time fabourite player, and I don't see a reason why he should apologize or be ashamed. If I were in his place, I'd do the same thing. FYI, he's not greedy either. The moneys not for him to sit his ass in retirement, it's for the thousand of charities he donates to, and all the health clinics in Africa. It's over, and you know what(?), he's gonna come out next year, better than he looked at the end of last season. He's GONNA train, because he wants to, not because he has to. Age is not a factor, look at Dikembe. Hakeem can block shots, he can be a great rebounder, he's a great scoring option, great defender, and commands a double-team. If he were the first scoring option on a team, he could go fro 20pts/10reb/2blk/30minutes. Let it go, other franchises have to dream too.
Unfortunately, Hakeem is a former Rocket and even more unfortunately his thread technically belong in this forum... ugh.
Manny Ramirez, No offense, man, but could you tone down on the quoting? It's appropriate to quote, but not the whole article again. I'm damn-near busting a vein in my knuckle having to scroll through this thread. If it's a small post you're quoting, it'd be ok, but there's really no need to quote the entire post every time.... anywho, just a suggestion.
Hakeem always trained every year, and brought new moves to add to his arsenal from the off season all the time. There was also the year when he enlisted track trainer to help him train during the off season. What he said about this year's training is that it is more playing of basketball than in previous years, rather than strength or conditioning or whatever he used to do.
I don't understand how people can say "don't call Dream greedy", but then turn around and rip Rockets management for not upping their offer so that they could keep certain players or have enough cap space. If people want others to "Let it go" about Dream leaving and stop being "bitter", then shouldn't it be the other way around for the people who are constantly ripping management and posters for accepting that Dream had to be cut loose?
I thought the story was Frank Rutherford saw him running/playing pickup bball and told Dream that his mechanics (leg movements) were off because of knee injuries. Rutherford, Olympic bronze medalist, offered to help get his mechanics corrected by working out with him. Mango
