It would appear that Hakeem is in Toronto right now soending time with team physicians - hoping to prove he is medically unfit to play. He still has to see the NBA's doctors in order to be given any such clearance - which would then entitle him to recieve payment on the remainder of his contract at an agreed upon amount with the team. Reports say he'll agree to no less than 100% - which is a pretty brutal thing for him to do - and several CC posters warned us about him last year. It would appear as though you were right. If he doesn't recieve medical clearance then he has to report to camp to play, negotiate a buyout, or file papers with the league and walk away from his remaining salary. I'm inclined to think he's completely out of shape but won't get clearance from the NBA to retire for medical reasons. He'll come to camp and threaten to sit at the end of the bench in order to collect his $$. The Raptors will offer a buyout of some kind and threaten to waive him fo "lack of skill" which would be a major blemish on his HOF career and proud/stubborn ego. The guy should just agree to a buyout if he wants to retire and stay in Houston. If he wants to retire then don't play the BS games when he has said publicially he thinks its unethical to accept money you haven't earned. So much for his faith if he's willing to compromise it for a few bucks. I have to admit I was cautiously excited when we got him last year, but grew disappointed over the course of the season. he showed up completely out of shape and Wilkens never learned to use him properly - so to say he underachieved in Toronto would be pretty accurate. Rox fans cautioned Raptor fans about expecting much and even threw some low blows at him as he was leaving. Having a year under our belts, raptor fans are realizing that many of you guys were right and the guy should just hang them up before he embarasses himself completely Anyone hear anything about Hakeem on the Houston end of things?
I haven't heard anything about this... Wow is all I can say. Olajuwon is content with finishing his career with his tail between his legs. Good riddance Dream.
this is one of the saddest things i've read around here. what has happened to my former childhood hero?
For me, this can only blemish his career so much. There was nothing better than watching him battle during his prime, and he is completely responsible for the Rox two rings. I didn't expect good things in Toronto, but this is really really sad. I wonder if he's just getting really bad advice from his agent?
If this is true, it is a very sad day in h-town , at least for me. He has always been one my heroes, the main reason I started watching rockets ball. He needs to go out at least with some self respect and not always looking for money. Don't you think he has enough, or is he trying to buy his own country?
Hakeem is embarrasing himself. He has been embarrasing himself more and more each year. As a Rockets fan I try not to keep up with what he does or how he plays. I just try to remember him in his glory years with the Rockets and not as some has been trying to make money that is delerious to the fact that he can't hack it anymore.
Hakeem is just responding to the way he was treated, benched with hardly any playing time. Hakeem is still one of the top 10 centers when fit, I think he should ask for a trade.
More information is coming out by the minute on the situation. Here is the latest: Hakeem wants to play but the Toronto doctors have told him that if he plays, he will need back surgery. He's been examined again by more doctors, got an MRI and such. According to reports, Hakeem, his family, Fegan and Grunwald will be meeting to discuss where they go from here. Hakeem's contract is insured and will likely receive his full contract remaining. The Raptors will take a cap hit, but only pay 20% of his salary, insurance company will pay the rest. I'll post any more info for you guys once we hear it here.
Wow, I wonder how much the premium for that insurance was? If I were an insurance company, I wouldn't have covered that contract.
Hakeem is the one to blame for his being unfit and the consequent inability to perform. He was never used properly since he was never completely fit and able to do what he was brought in to do. The situation grew worse as the season unfolded with Lenny Wilkens not knowing how to get the most out of a slow, old out of shape Hakeem. Looogie summed up the days events nicely, but when Grunwald was interviewed on Toronto radio he didn't sound at all happy with the way things were going. Let's not forget that it was Dream and Fegan who pushed for the deal to be 3 years - so whether Hakeem is happy with the way he was used or not - he misled the team (intentionally or not) into guaranteeing him more money than he ever intended to earn. I'm hoping that they can agree to some sort of buyout which is a fair compromise to both sides.
TORONTO -- Hakeem Olajuwon is battling an injury that could finally spell the end of his long and illustrious career. The venerable Raptors centre began a rehabilitation program in Toronto this week after he was diagnosed with a serious back injury, and after 18 seasons in the NBA, the Raptors are unsure whether he'll ever return to the court. "We identified a problem that is a little bit serious. So we're not exactly sure what the outcome's going to be," said Raptors general manager Glen Grunwald. "We've got him on a rehab program now, so we'll see how it all turns out. "It's primarily a disc in his back, but there's some other issues there too," Grunwald added. Surgery is a possibility, he said. Grunwald acquired the Houston Rockets legend -- nicknamed The Dream -- just over a year ago in his effort to cobble together an NBA contender, counting on Olajuwon's experience to carry Toronto through the playoffs. But the 39-year-old Olajuwon missed 21 games with toe and leg injuries, lost his conditioning, and was relegated to a backup behind the upstart Keon Clark, who was having the best season of his career, and Eric Montross. The Raptors are scheduled to open training camp Oct. 1 in Waterloo, Ont., but Grunwald said there's no deadline for Olajuwon's recovery. The Raptors GM added that Olajuwon will take his time in making a decision about his future. "It's a personal decision, and we don't know exactly what's going to happen," said Grunwald. "He's going to see how he feels after this rehab program and then make a decision from there." A perennial all-star, Olajuwon played 17 seasons with the Rockets, leading them to back-to-back NBA titles in 1994 and '95, and collecting numerous league records. But Olajuwon has been plagued by injuries over the last couple of years, playing just one full season in the last five, and that was 1999, when a lockout shortened the year to just 50 games. He appeared close to retirement two years ago when a blood clot in his leg forced him to miss almost half the season. The years are starting to show on Olajuwon's seven-foot frame, his vintage Dream Shake move a rare treat at the Air Canada Centre last season. He averaged career-lows of 7.1 points and 6.0 rebounds in the regular season, and always seemed one step behind his teammates. Yet, Grunwald said Olajuwon isn't ready to walk away just yet, nor does he wish him to. "Hakeem still believes that if he's healthy, he can play, and I think he's right," said Grunwald. "The question first of all is his health and whether he'll be able to play." Should he return, the GM sees Olajuwon, with two years and $12 million US left on his contract, playing a similar role to last season. "At this stage, given the wear and tear on his body, we'll probably look for him to be a player off the bench to come in and help the game, and help us score some points and play some defence," said Grunwald. As Olajuwon's season unravelled last year, there were rumblings that he wasn't happy with his diminished minutes and stature. Grunwald shrugged it off as nothing new. "Like all NBA players, unless they're playing too many minutes, they're not happy with their minutes," he said. "It's always an issue, but I don't think it's anything that significant right now." With or without Olajuwon, the Raptors have a wealth of bodies in their frontcourt. While they couldn't afford to keep Clark, they signed Nate Huffman, who played with three-time Israeli League champion Maccabi Elite Tel-Aviv last season, tossing him into the mix with Antonio Davis, Montross, the often-injured Yogi Stewart, and Mamadou N'diaye. With training camp less than three weeks away, a handful of players have trickled into Toronto to begin practising, including Jerome Williams, new point guard Lindsey Hunter who was acquired in a draft-night trade, and rookie forward Chris Jefferies. Note: In this month's issue of SLAM Magazine, former Raptor Tracy McGrady talks about everything from his life in Toronto and his development since leaving the Raptors for the Orlando Magic, to his cousin Vince Carter. "I don't hold nothing against Toronto," McGrady is quoted as saying. "I mean, when I go to Toronto, and the fans boo me, yeah, I'm bringing it. I bring it every time. But it's all love up there, though. They booing me 'cause they love me."
I would love to c Hakeem retire but I have to say that i wanted him to do it as a rocket. Anyways I would like to say good luck to Hakeem in whatever he decides to do. I will always b on ur side.
The Dream likely over Olajuwon not healthy enough for NBA By BILL HARRIS -- Toronto Sun Hakeem (The Dream) Olajuwon is unfit to play basketball and his days as a Raptor likely are over. Raptors doctors have given Olajuwon a head-to-toe exam and the results were as negative as had been expected. At this point, the 39-year-old living legend is not healthy enough to gain even the most rudimentary medical clearance to play in the NBA. Olajuwon, who has a bad disc in his back and accelerated degeneration in most of his joints, has returned to his off-season home to ponder his options. The most straight-forward of those options is retirement. "It's a personal decision for Hakeem," Raptors general manager Glen Grunwald said yesterday. However, if Olajuwon can't pass even a basic physical exam, it takes the decision-making out of his hands. "We've provided him with a rehabilitation program but there are questions as to whether that can help," Grunwald said. "I don't really know if he's going to be at training camp (which begins on Oct. 1)." There are only three possible scenarios for Olajuwon: - He gets better. This is the most desirable development, but also the most unlikely. If Olajuwon were healthy, he either could help the Raptors or they could trade him to an ambitious team such as the Dallas Mavericks, who expressed interest in Olajuwon earlier this summer. FLY IN OINTMENT? - He physically can't play but won't retire. Olajuwon may not be in the mood to do the Raptors any favours. If he wants to be a fly in the ointment, the Raptors might have to put him on the "physically unable to perform" list, which in turn would lead to lengthy discussions among lawyers. - He retires. While this would have historical significance around the NBA, the short-term impact on the Raptors would be minor. After Olajuwon was a non-factor last season, few expected he had much left to contribute anyway. The Raptors still would be responsible for the $12 million US remaining on the final two years of Olajuwon's contract. There is no league-wide insurance to help the Raptors, but insurance policies taken out by the team would cover a portion of the cost. The Raptors also would apply to the NBA for salary-cap relief, in the hope that not all the money owed Olajuwon would count on the cap.
